Aishiteru
by Aonadharcach
Summary: Haru and Rin are through, and he's not happy about it. Enter Michiko, an independent girl with plenty secrets of her own. HaruxOC, KyouxTohru
1. New Friend

**Notes:**

Michiko is mine, the rest belong to Natsuki Takaya.

Have a marvelous day!

Tali

**Chapter ****1 – New Friend**

Here we are again, circles never end  
How do I find the perfect fit  
There's enough for everyone  
But I'm still waiting in line  
Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
Who knows how to love you without being told  
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
If there's a soulmate for everyone

~Soulmate, Natasha Bedingfield

Hatsuharu was restless. He ran a hand through his two-toned hair and tried to decide what to do to work off his restless energy and take his mind off of his depressing thoughts about Rin. After a short debate, he decided to head to Kazuma's dojo for a good workout. Maybe Kyou would be there and he'd be able to fight him. That would be an excellent way to distract him from the discouraging thoughts swirling around in the downward spiral of his mind. It was chilly for September so he tossed on his favorite white jacket with the fur collar and headed out the door. He paid little attention to his surroundings and thus took an extra twenty minutes to arrive.

A little while later he saw a girl standing in front of the freshly painted dojo with a speculative look on her face. She had straight, hip length black hair with bright purple stripes, a bit unusual for their area of town, but not unheard of. She was wearing tailored black sparring robes with an intricate bright blue pattern and looked perfectly at home in them. He could see she had on several necklaces, some plain chains and others with various pendants. When she turned to look at him, he realized she was quite lovely. She had an oval face with high cheekbones, her nose was slightly turned up, and she had a generous mouth which was lifted in a slight smile at the corners. Her large eye's were a stormy gray and seemed to see right to the depths of his soul. _Please don't look, I don't want anyone to see. _Recovering quickly, he indicated to the dojo, "Are you looking for a place to learn?"

Her smile quirked a bit as if at some joke he didn't know and she nodded her head. He walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing her inside. Kazuma walked over to greet them, "Haru-kun, how are you today?"

Haru smiled slightly at the older man, "Good, Sensei. How are you?"

"Doing well. Who have you brought me?" he asked with a small bow to the new girl.

She bowed in return, "Hello, Sensei. My name is Sato Michiko. I wish to learn, please. If you have room in one of your classes?"

The older man bowed his head, "I am Sohma Kazuma, Michiko-san. Have you any teachings or are you an absolute beginner?"

"I have some teachings, Sensei." she replied.

"I have an advanced class starting in a few minutes. Haru-kun, would you please take her into the other room and determine which class she should be in?"

Haru nodded and led her into one of the back rooms. Once he closed the doors he turned towards her and gave a small bow, "Sohma Hatsuharu, Michiko-san. Let's go through some stretches and katas then we'll spar."

Michiko smiled and stepped next to him, ready to begin. He watched her carefully during the stretches and katas and saw that she did them very well. She had a catlike grace that reminded him strongly of the way Kyou fought. He took her through more advanced katas and she did them nearly as well as he did. He smiled slightly at the thought of a good sparring session with the pretty girl.

"Are you ready to spar?" he asked.

"Yes, Sohma-san." she replied. Her voice was musical, and Haru decided that he could happily listen to it all day.

He began slowly, wanting to get a feel for her style and skill. As she continued to keep up he gradually added more speed and power to his hits. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration and she didn't take them off him. She smiled a little more each time he increased the difficulty and soon they were sparring above the advanced class that was practicing in the main room. Quite a while later Kazuma came in to see how the new student was doing and saw they had finally stopped, breathing hard from the extended workout.

"What do you think, Haru-kun?" he asked kindly.

"I'll spar with her whenever she likes. Kyou probably would too. She'd be fine in the advanced class if she wanted to spar more often then we were able."

Kazuma's eyes crinkled in a smile. "I'll leave it to you, Michiko-san, to decide what you would prefer to do."

Michiko bowed to him, "Thank you, Sensei." She turned to Hatsuharu, "Would you be willing to spar with me?"

The younger teen nodded and replied, "Sure."

Kazuma turned to Haru, "I am going to be training for the next couple of months. The dojo will be closed to the public but please feel free to stop by and use it anytime you wish. Please take good care of it in my absence." he handed Haru a key and the teen smiled.

"I will. Thank you, Sensei." he said before returning his attention to the girl next to him.

She bowed to Hatsuharu, "Thank you, Sohma-san."

Haru held out his arm, "Call me Hatsuharu. I'll walk you home, Michiko-san."

She smiled brilliantly as she took his arm, "Thank you, Hatsuharu-san."

The sun had mostly gone down by the time they left the dojo and Haru was glad she agreed to let him walk her home. She could obviously take care of herself but that didn't mean she was safe if she ran into a group of questionable characters. They walked quietly together for several minutes before she looked up at him. "How soon may we spar again, Hatsuharu-san? You are so skilled and I learned so much."

Haru studied her for a moment, "Do you want to meet a couple times a week in the afternoon after classes?"

"What time do classes end?" Michiko asked.

"Aren't you in school?" he asked, a raised eyebrow the only sign of his surprise.

"No. I'm almost eighteen and finished high school a few years ago." came the cheerful reply.

"Why did you finish so early?" Haru asked, interest coloring his voice.

"My parents and I have never gotten along. My father and I had an especially rocky relationship. When it looked like it was heading towards a breaking point, I made a deal with my teachers to put my class work on a compressed schedule and finished almost four years early, right after my fourteenth birthday in fact. Once I was done, I was able to convince my parents to sign the paperwork to become an adult." came the explanation, without a change in tone. Haru's brows went up in surprise that this delicate girl was completely on her own and had been for some time. She waved at the building next to them, "This is me. Would you like to come up for some tea and snacks?"

Haru thought about it for a moment before nodding. She was the most interesting person he'd met in quite a while and he'd like to know more about her. She led the way up the narrow staircase and unlocked the last door on the left. "Come in and be welcome, Hatsuharu-san." she gestured him inside while lighting an oil lamp near the door.

He stepped inside and furrowed his brows at the profusion of oil lamps in the place. He turned towards her with a questioning look, "Is there a problem with the electricity, Michiko-san?"

She blushed a little as she moved around lighting lamps, "No, Hatsuharu-san. I prefer the softer light from lamps. I'll go make some tea. Make yourself at home please."

He watched her leave and then studied the room with a sharp eye. He noted she had no family pictures anywhere but several landscapes were hung on the walls. There were two light colored loveseats in the living room, one across from the entertainment center and the other adjacent to it. There was a matching chair that looked like it would be perfect to curl up in while reading in the evening. She had cozy, deep colored throw blankets over the backs of the chair and couches and books were everywhere. They were piled on every flat surface. _She must read even more than I do._ he thought.

He walked over to the table and leafed through the topmost one. It looked like it was about medieval healthcare, back when people used to think magic could be used to heal people. _Interesting._ He looked up as Michiko came bustling back into the room and noted a flash of unease on her face before it cleared and she set out the tea things. "Would you like to take a seat? All I have is cookies, will these be okay?" she asked.

"I thought you said you were finished with school. This looks like a history book." Haru said as he sat down gracefully and accepted the tea she held out. He watched her shoulders tense then relax and idly wondered what she was hiding.

"I'm studying folklore."

Haru nodded and sipped his tea, waiting for her to continue. She didn't disappoint, "That stack is about magic in healing. The things people used to heal others before modern medicine. It's fascinating to see what they used and how and the results they managed to achieve."

He nodded encouragingly again and continued to sip his tea. She continued after a slight pause, "It's a hobby. Interesting but not as fun as sparing with you. You are very skilled, Hatsuharu-san. How long have you been a student of the arts?"

"Since I was very small. The same must be true for you as well. You fight very well." he allowed her to redirect the conversation.

"I started studying with my grandfather when I was six. It was a great way to get to know him." Her expression saddened.

"He passed?" Haru asked gently.

She nodded and sipped her tea. "He taught me so much. Everything I needed to stand on my own, I learned from him." she finished with a small smile.

Haru returned the smile and set down his empty teacup. "Thank you very much for the tea. I should get home."

She stood gracefully and he followed her to the door. "Thank you for visiting with me. It was nice to see a friendly face in a new town."

He smiled down at her, "Thank you for having me over Michiko-san. I'll see you in a couple days at the dojo."

She returned his smile, "Stop by anytime, Hatsuharu-san. If I don't answer it's because I'm at work so come back later."

"I will. See you soon." he bowed and took his leave, thoughts full of the pretty girl and a vague feeling of guilt at being so interested. _I'm supposed to love Rin, not be looking at other girls. _he thought guiltily. _But she doesn't want you._ a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind. He thought about Michiko all the way home and that's probably why he made so many wrong turns.

----------

Michiko closed the door behind Hatsuharu and let out a deep sigh. _Now that I have a friend, I better do something about all these books,_ she thought. She had had a bad moment when she came out and saw Hatsuharu leafing through one of her magical healing text books. She hadn't needed to worry about anyone coming over in so long that she had forgotten that people tend to look through things and ask questions. She walked around gathering up the most obvious of the texts and put them on her bed. It took several trips to get them all. _When did I get all these books, anyway?_ she grumbled as she ferried them into the bedroom.

Once they were all piled on the bed she turned and studied her room carefully for a moment before pulling out her wand and conjuring a bookcase next to the dresser. She flicked her wand and the books put themselves neatly on the shelves. It was going to be difficult to remember to keep her magic under wraps. She had gotten so comfortable living alone and working in the magical world that she had nearly forgotten that she walked among Muggles each and every day.

She stopped in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. Now that she was talking to people she would have to remember not to change her appearance too often. She really enjoyed the freedom of being a metamorphagus, but sometimes it made life more difficult that it needed to be. The gray eyes were nice and she could live with them for quite some time. She had been considering changing the hair but would need to be careful not to do anything too radical, like "cut" it all off in case she couldn't live with it after all. _Maybe I can change the color of the stripes?_ she thought cheerfully.

----------

Haru ignored Kyou as he walked up to Yuki and latched a hand onto his shirt. "Hi Yuki."

"Hello, Haru. How are you feeling today?" Yuki asked kindly.

Haru frowned. "I'm not sure. Can we talk for a while?"

"Of course. Let's go to my room where it's quiet." he replied.

"Thank you."

Yuki frowned at him in concern before leading the way to his room. Once they were settled on the bed facing each other he spoke, "What's wrong, Haru?"

"I met a girl last week." he said quietly.

"Is that a bad thing?" Yuki asked, slightly confused.

"I don't know. I've seen her a couple of times and I like her."

Yuki smiled at his friend, "But that's wonderful news, Haru."

"I don't know if it is. Rin only left me a couple of months ago. If I loved her how can I be interested in another girl already?" he asked guiltily.

Yuki chose his words carefully, "I know you loved her, Haru. Don't doubt that you did. Maybe your interest in this other girl is a sign that you are letting go. I don't think that's a bad thing."

"Of course it is. I love Rin and she loves me." He grimaced at his friend's expression.

Yuki reached out to him, "Haru, she threw you out of her hospital room and said she didn't want to see you again."

"I know, but maybe she'll change her mind." he argued.

"I don't know Rin as well as you do, but it seems that when she makes a statement like that she means it and won't change her mind."

Haru looked down at his hands, "Deep down, I know that, but it's so hard to accept. I love her so much." He leaned forward so he could rest his head on Yuki's shoulder.

Yuki ran a hand down his back, "I know, but don't you think it's time to move on, Haru?"

He sighed deeply, "Maybe. Probably. It's just so hard."

"But isn't it harder to try to hold onto her when she's already left?" he asked as he started rubbing circles on Haru's back.

He slumped, "Yeah."

"Do you want to tell me about the new girl?" Yuki asked after a few moments.

His voice was muffled against Yuki's shoulder, "What's to tell? She's beautiful and loves to spar. I've only known her for a week."

Yuki chuckled, "Well, what about her do you like right now?"

"The look on her face when we spar. It's like I'm the only person in the entire world. All of her attention is focused on me and she's happy that it is."

"What else?" he prodded.

"She also has excellent taste in jewelry. She's fun to talk to and very interesting. She makes great tea and has good taste in cookies. She's very kind too, and she's always happy to see me." he elaborated in a warmer and brighter tone.

"Well, that sounds like a good start. Why don't you try being friends with her and let things progress naturally? You have to do what feels right for you." Yuki suggested.

Haru sat up and looked him in the eye, "Okay. Thank you, Yuki."

Yuki smiled, "Any time, Haru."

Outside the mostly closed door, Kyou shook his head and walked into his own room.

----------

Michiko was cleaning house and thinking about her new sparring partner. He was quite cute and very intelligent. They had spoken of many things over the past couple of weeks while they warmed up and cooled down and she was delighted to have finally made what was shaping up to be her very first friend. She was both excited and nervous at the prospect. She was excited because she'd never been able to make a friend before and nervous because she would have to remember to keep her secrets. She had a lot of practice at that and it shouldn't be any worse than evading her teacher's and department head's more probing questions. It was just a matter of redirection, that's all.

She plumped the cushions of the couch and put away the books that perpetually littered every flat surface in her home. The radio was on and she sang along with it as she worked. It was the first full day off she had had for a few weeks and she had a lot to do around the house to make up for it. She often preferred to do housekeeping by hand as it allowed her time to reflect and kept her hands busy. As she finished chasing the last dust bunny out from under the couch she looked around to make sure everything was clean. After a very thorough look around she nodded in satisfaction and slipped out the door to go to the market.

It was a short walk to the store and on the way she spotted a familiar head of black and white hair sitting on a bench in the park. Her smiled widened as she drew closer to Hatsuharu, only to falter when she saw the look on his face. He looked so terribly sad that she wasn't sure she should intrude. She must have made some small sound because his eyes sprang open and he stared at her for a long moment before returning his gaze to the ground. After a brief hesitation she crossed the remaining distance and bowed politely before slipping onto the bench next to him.

"Are you all right, Hatsuharu-san?" she asked softly.

He was quiet for a long time, but Michiko was willing to wait him out. If there was anything she had learned over her short life it was that patience truly was a virtue and would get a person through most anything. She watched as he opened his mouth and then closed it as either the words escaped him or he simply didn't know how to begin. She reached over and rested a lightly calloused hand on his forearm.

"Tell me a story." she requested gently.

He sighed but found the words to begin, "There was a boy who loved a girl with all of his heart. They didn't mean to fall in love, it just happened without either being able to stop it. They found a small measure of happiness in otherwise unhappy lives. Then, one day, the girl was injured and when the boy tried to visit her in the hospital, she threw him out and swung her IV pole at him to make sure he understood he was no longer welcome. The boy tried to visit her again and again and she turned him away every time. Every time she did, it broke his heart a little more."

Michiko's hand tightened on his arm in sympathy. "I'm so very sorry, Hatsuharu-san. Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"No. I'm just trying to let her go. She's not in love with me anymore." he replied heavily.

Michiko chose her words carefully, "In my experience, which I admit is _very_ limited, it would seem that anything you fall into you can fall out of. Real and lasting love isn't something you fall into. It grows and blooms and you tend it everyday to keep it strong and true."

Haru considered her with a pained look. "I've come to that conclusion as well, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

"No, but it makes it easier to live with in the long run." She smiled a little, "You know what will make you feel better?"

"What?"

"Sparring with me. Come on." she said as she stood and took his hand to drag him down the street.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. He had never known another girl to enjoy sparring so very much. He had also never known another to take such pleasure in simple things. She was always so pleased that he walked her home or that they had tea and cookies together or when either of them scored a point on the other. Honestly, she was always so pleased he wondered if she ever got angry. Haru allowed her to drag him down the street and smiled to himself as she shifted impatiently from foot to foot in anticipation.

"Do you feel better yet?" she asked.

"A little." he replied as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside. His heart was a bit lighter. He didn't know if it was because they were about to spar or just because she was near but his day was always brighter when he spent time with this girl.

They sparred for several more weeks before Haru decided to take her out on a date. He was working up the nerve to ask her when she gave him the perfect opening.

"Michiko-san, why do you like to spar so much?" he asked as they did their stretches one afternoon.

She glanced over at him and he could see a blush staining her cheeks. "I usually enjoy it so much because it reminds me of the fun I had learning from my grandfather." She hesitated a moment before continuing quietly, "Now it's because I really enjoy spending time with you."

He looked at her as a small smile formed on his face. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Very much." she replied with an answering smile.


	2. First Date

**Chapter 2 - ****First Date**

Haru nervously ran his hands through his hair before he knocked on Michiko's door. _Why am I so nervous? It's not like I'm asking her to marry me or anything. It's just dinner. To see if maybe there's another person in the world that's interested in just me._ He closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself and opened them as the door unlatched.

"Come in and be welcome, Hatsuharu-san." He caught a glimpse of Michiko with her hands in her hair as she turned around right after unlatching the door, "Be done in a moment."

Haru followed her in and started leafing through the first book he found. It had several complex diagrams on the pages so he picked it up and settled onto the couch to read. At the end of two chapters he looked up and realized Michiko was still not done. Curious, he set the book aside and walked into the back, "Michiko-san?"

He heard a light growl then a sigh and she stepped out of the bathroom. Her long hair was partially up but dangerously tilted to one side. There were several pins in place but her hair appeared to be escaping no matter how many she used. "What are you doing?"

She frowned at him, "Trying to do my hair."

He couldn't figure out if she had been going for a bun or partly up or something fancy that went completely wrong. _She has such a pretty profile. A little rounder than Rin's but very pretty. Ah, why am I thinking about her right now? I'm going on a date with Michiko._ He could feel his Black side's enthusiasm for this idea. _How can half of me be so happy and the other so conflicted?_ He finally asked, "Do what to it?"

"Pin it up in one of those nice arrangements girls do when they go out to dinner."

"I like your hair better down." he murmured before walking over to carefully help her get the pins out of the silky strands. "It's a nice length."

_She was trying to put her hair up all this time? The only things I've ever seen her do to her hair are leave it down and put it in a bun when we spar. She didn't need to go to all that trouble._ _It's nice to see her face properly but it looks pretty when it moves with her._

She quirked a brow at him, "I notice you didn't comment on the color."

Haru shrugged as he picked out the last pin and stepped back, "The color isn't important."

"But it _is_ fun." she replied as she quickly brushed her hair out and dropped the brush carelessly into the drawer.

A raised brow was his only response to that as he tugged her out to the living room. She tucked her ID and money into her denim skirt pocket and allowed him to tug her out the door. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." he replied easily, pleased that he hadn't had to say anything about her shoes that would give away what they were doing. He released her and they walked side by side on the sidewalk as he led her towards his destination. He had had Momiji draw him a map so he wouldn't get lost on the way and pulled it out of his pocket to study at the next intersection.

Haru frowned slightly; the streets on the map didn't match the ones on the corner. Michiko glanced up curiously at him when he let out a sigh. "This isn't right."

Michiko pulled his hand down so she could see the map better and frowned for a moment before her face cleared. She plucked the map out of his hand and pointed behind them. "We should have gone right instead of left at the first turn."

_Figures I'd get lost even with a map._ he thought in vague irritation. It was one thing to be lost by himself and completely another to be lost with a girl on their first date. Haru scratched his head as he looked around, "Oh."

She tugged his hand as she stepped away, "This way."

Michiko kept the map in hand as she led them through the city to the outskirts of the woods around his home. _Five steps off the road and tree on the left._ he remembered as he followed the directions and came out from behind the tree with a large picnic basket. He watched a smile light up her face when she realized what they were going to do.

"A picnic?" she asked as she clasped her hands together in an obvious effort to reign in her enthusiasm for the idea.

Haru couldn't help the smile that tugged his mouth at her delight. He had picked the perfect thing after all. "Yes."

They walked for a while on a little game trail before they found a spot next to the water and in the shade. The leaves were all orange and gold in the early October sunshine and there was a clearing on a small hill with a pretty view of the creek. She helped him spread the blanket out on the flattest section and settled herself in a corner while he pulled food out and put it on the blanket a little haphazardly.

They ate and enjoyed the sunshine for a while before she spoke, "What made you decide on a picnic?"

In truth, he had no idea. He shrugged lightly, "It seemed like something you would like."

He felt something within him stir when she smiled at him, "You're right. Thank you, Hatsuharu-san."

He gave her another small smile as he picked up a sandwich. They ate and talked and when they were finished they lay back on the blanket and watched the leaves blow in the wind. They pointed out different shapes in the leaves and laughed as each got sillier.

"It's there. You just have to look at it right." he said as he shifted his head closer to hers and pointed, "Right there. I swear, it's an elephant. That branch is the trunk and that clump of leaves is the body and that little group of leaves hanging out of place is the ear."

She scrunched her eyes partway shut and tilted her head as she tried to see it, "Maybe." She turned to look at him and their faces were very close. "Don't people do this with clouds?"

"We can't see any clouds from here." he replied easily as he reached over and clasped her hand. They stayed like that for a while before packing up and heading to the dojo to spar.

----------

Kyou glanced around as he heard someone sparring in the back. As far as he knew he and Haru were the only ones with keys. His eyes brightened at the thought of a fight and he headed back to needled the cow. _Probably with Yuki. Don't know how he can spar and hold on to the damn rat's shirt anyway._ He walked to the back and looked through the slightly open door. He could tell the occupants were going at it pretty seriously so he only stepped close enough to see into the room at an angle. He watched in surprise as a girl with black and purple hair rolled gracefully into his line of sight, followed almost immediately by Haru. He swung at the girl and she just barely evaded it.

Curious, he shifted slightly closer so he could see better. The fight was pretty evenly matched from what he could tell. The girl was pretty good, but Haru should have been better. _Stupid cow is getting beat up by a girl_._ Or at least he's not able to score more points against her than she against him._

He gave up his plan to hassle the cow and continued up to his room to think in peace and quiet. No one knew he came here when he couldn't stand to be home and Tohru wasn't there to bug him. The strange girl they had found camping in their woods had really started to grow on him, not that he admit it if anyone asked. She was a total space cadet but likable despite that.

He slipped into the quiet familiarity of his room and took a deep breath._ Quiet at last. Maybe now I can take a nap without being bothered._ he thought as he sprawled on his bed. Kyou let his eyes drift closed in the late afternoon sunshine filtering through his window.

----------

Haru walked slowly across the front yard without paying much attention to where he was walking. He wanted to talk with Yuki again. He always made Haru feel better and had good advice for him.

"Hey ushi. I saw you sparring with a girl last time I was at the dojo. What's the matter? Did you finally realize you're not good enough to fight someone your own size?"

Haru stopped in his tracks and turned towards Kyou. "Excuse me, baka neko?" he said in a dangerously low voice as his eyes turned black.

Kyou's eyes lit up, "You heard me, you dumb cow."

Haru stalked over to him and slammed him into the wall. Kyou leapt to his feet and launched himself at the ushi. They tussled for several minutes before Yuki came out to see what all the noise was.

"Why are you two fighting?" he asked from the porch.

"I'm just reminding the neko here that I can fight people my own size just fine. I'll be with you in just a moment, love."

Yuki grimaced at the endearment but waited patiently nonetheless for him to finish with Kyou. Ten minutes later he was tapping his foot and starting to get impatient. "Are you two almost done or shall I start on my homework?"

Haru punched Kyou hard enough to send him flying before walking away. "Talk to you later, baka neko." When he got to Yuki he reached out for his shirt. "Hi, Yuki."

"Hello, Haru. Was there something you needed or did you come over to fight with Kyou?" he asked.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure. Why don't I keep you company while I think about it?"

Yuki sighed. "Only if you promise to behave yourself."

"I'm behaving." Haru smirked.

"For now." Yuki said before turning to walk upstairs to his room with his shadow.

"Nice view."

"What did I just say?" Yuki asked irritably.

"Sorry. I'll behave."

"Please."

Yuki entered his room and sat at the desk with his books. "Let me know when you remember what it was you needed."

"Can't we talk?" Haru asked as he leaned against the desk.

"I don't especially enjoy speaking with your black side."

Haru knew his cousin could see the disappointment in his eyes and that Yuki would give in. "If you can behave yourself, we can talk until to you go white and remember what you wanted to see me about."

Haru smiled, "I can behave. What have you been up to lately?"

"Not much. Just school for the most part."

"Has Akito given you any trouble since you moved out?"

"No, I haven't spoken with him since I moved into Shigure's house." Yuki answered quietly.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. It's nice to be away from the main house."

"How have your nightmares been?" he asked, wanting to make sure his plan had worked.

"Better. Especially since Tohru moved in." Yuki smiled, "She has a very soothing presence."

"I'm glad you've found some peace here." he replied as he idly wondered when he'd finally meet this Tohru.

Yuki smiled. "Me too. I don't know why Shigure agreed to let me live here, but I'm very glad that he did."

Haru smiled happily. He knew why Shigure let Yuki move in but he wasn't going to tell him that.

Yuki watched Haru's eyes lose focus and change from black back to his usual gray. "Haru?" he asked a moment later.

"Yuki? When did we get up here?" he asked dazedly. _Wasn't I on the way to see him?_

"Just a few minutes ago. Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"Yes, I just wanted to talk with you again."

"What's going on?" Yuki asked.

"I've been spending more time with her the last few weeks. We went on a date the other day. I had a really nice time and don't feel bad about it. But I do feel bad because I don't feel bad. Does that make any sense?"

Yuki smiled, "Not really. If you had a good time that's okay."

"But does it mean that I didn't really love Rin?"

"No, Haru. It's been almost six months since she told you she didn't want to see you anymore. That's enough time to let go and move on without guilt. It hasn't been easy for you to move on, so you shouldn't doubt that your feelings were real and strong. What feels right to you?"

Haru studied his hands while he considered the question carefully before responding, "Being with Mi feels right to me."

Yuki reached out and touched his shoulder, "Then that's all that matters."

"How can you be sure?"

Yuki shrugged, "I can't. No one can. You just have to do what's right for you."

"I always feel better after talking with you." Haru said quietly, with a small smile.

"Are you going to bring her around some time so I can meet her?"

"Yes. I'll set something up later."

Yuki smiled, "I look forward to meeting the girl that's made you smile again."

"Thanks, Yuki."

"That's what friends are for." the older teen replied with a slight smile.

----------

"_Sato Michiko, please report to the Testing Room for a code red. Repeat, Sato Michiko to the Testing Room, Code Red."_

Michiko leapt out of her chair and ran for the Testing Room as quickly as possible. She saw her boss Oonishi Kishi following close behind her, blonde hair trailing after her.

"Do you know who it is?" Michiko asked as she threaded her way down the maze of hallways towards the well warded Testing Room.

"I believe Alphonso was working on a cursed object." the department head replied.

"Lovely." she replied before skidding to a halt outside the doors and cautiously opening them. She cast a spell to ensure nothing was lying in wait before stepping into the room and hurrying to her co-worker's side.

"Alphonso? Are you all right?" she asked as she knelt beside the older man. He was in his mid thirties and fairly good at what they did, but every now and then something would surprise him.

He groaned and rolled over to reveal several deep slashes across his face, torso, and arms. Blood was seeping out of them at a steady rate and there was a small pool of it where he was lying. Michiko started snapping out orders without thought that she was snapping them to her boss. She was a Medic for her office and in a Code Red, her word was law. As she worked on her co-worker her thoughts drifted back to when she had been made Medic for her office.

_She had sort of fallen into healing. She'd had to take of herself for a long time and one day a co-worker had been injured during testing. Everyone panicked and she realized no one was helping him. She went over and looked to see if she could tell what needed to be done. He __was bleeding from several places and some sort of ooze was seeping out of his skin. It looked acidic and pretty bad. She snagged the first person that walked by and yanked them down to her, "Get the medical kit."_

_The person, whom she hadn't bothered to look at, flicked their wand and a moment later handed her the kit. Michiko debated on which was worse, the bleeding or the oozing. She decided bleeding had a definite time limit and dealt with that first. She shoved a replenishing potion into the other person's hand. "Pour this down his throat."_

_The order was followed and she started working on his open wounds. "Do you know what this ooze stuff is and has anyone called for emergency personnel yet?"_

"_They've been notified." the voice replied before snapping at someone going by, "Look this up and bring me the antidote."_

_Michiko glanced up and realized it was her brand new boss she had commandeered as her assistant. She flinched._

"Oonishi-sama, get me two vials of blood replenisher and start clearing the blood from his arms and face so I can see what I'm healing."

The blond witch summoned the first aid box and poured two vials of replenisher down her employee's throat before casting some medical class cleaning spells to clear the blood from his injuries. She was clearly not pleased by what she saw, but Michiko was doing everything she could to heal him. She was the youngest employee in the office, but in times like these no one cared. She moved from injury to injury and checked for curses before cleaning and healing them.

Several minutes later, Michiko sat back on her heels with a pleased expression as they assisted Alphonso into a sitting position. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"A little dizzy." he replied gruffly.

Michiko handed him another blood replenisher and his face relaxed as soon as he finished it.

"Much better, now. Thank you, Michiko-san." he replied.

"Any time Alphonso-san. You're to go home and rest for the remainder of the day." she replied firmly.

He looked to Kishi to argue but the boss just shook her head with a slight smile. "The medic has spoken."

They helped him stand and watched as he walked with only a slight wobble out the door so he could collect his things.

Michiko watched as Kishi studied the area until she found the object he'd been working on. She put on the curse proof gloves that were on the table next to it and carefully put the necklace back in the box for safekeeping.

Michiko shook her head, "That one must be pretty nasty."

Kishi nodded, "It is. I'll speak with Alphonso tomorrow and see if we should continue working on it or lock in it in the vault."

The younger girl nodded, "All right. I'm going to get back to work, if you're okay here."

Her boss waved her off, "We're set."

----------

Haru silently accepted the handshakes from his parents and dutifully kissed his mother on the cheek.

"We'll be gone for a couple of months. You know where the ATM card is if you need to purchase clothes or anything. Kureno has agreed to make sure someone delivers groceries here as long as you want. If you would rather stay with Hatori and Momiji that will be fine." his mother said.

"I like it here, Mother. I'll be fine on my own." he replied quietly.

She fluttered her hands a bit before nodding, "I know, dear. It's just that we will be difficult to reach if you need us."

"I'll be fine. I have Hatori and Shigure if I need anything." he replied, bored with the conversation. It wasn't like they actually cared about his welfare. If they did, they wouldn't leave for months at a time.

"All right. We better get going or we'll miss the train. I love you, Haru." he mother said as she gripped his hands.

"I love you too, Mother." he replied quietly. He did love his parents; he just didn't understand them and often didn't want to. His mother was driven by money and status and this trip was so she could rub elbows with some important people from somewhere or another. "Good-bye." he added pointedly.

His father nodded and got into the car while his mother snapped at a passing maid then got into the car. Haru went back into the house before they left and settled himself on his bed with a book and some hard rock pumping in the background. He knew Momiji would be by about five minutes after they left to check on him and report back to Hatori.

Exactly five minutes and fifteen seconds later – because it took the rabbit fifteen seconds to bound from his door to Haru's – there was a knock before the door creaked open and the sound of footsteps, or maybe hops, could be heard.

The bright-eyed blond boy popped into Haru's room and grinned, "Hi, Haru."

Haru closed the book and looked up, "Hello."

"Are you staying here while they're gone?"

"Yes. I like the quiet when they're away." he murmured.

"Okay. I just wanted to check. If you change your mind, your room is ready."

Haru smiled. When was his room at Hatori's ever not ready? His parents spent so much time travelling that the doctor's house had been his second home for as long as he could remember. Once he was old enough to stay home alone, he alternated between staying there and staying home. As he had gotten older he had started staying at Hatori's less and less. It interfered with his free time to have someone actually looking out for him. He considered the doctor more of a father than his own, but as any teen will tell you, he'd rather do his own thing than live by the rules set up by someone else.

"Thanks, Momiji." If Hatori was his surrogate father, then Momiji was more like a brother than cousin. They were very close but sometimes the rabbit saw far more than Haru wanted him to see.

Momiji plopped on the bed, "You've been looking better these last few weeks. Why?"

Haru sighed, "I made a new friend."

The rabbit's eyes got huge, "Really? A _girl_ friend maybe?"

The ox shrugged, "Maybe. She is a girl and she is my friend."

"When did you meet her? What class is she in? Do I know her?"

"I met her a couple months ago. She's not in school and you probably don't know her."

"If she's not in school, she's way too old for you, Haru." Momiji replied.

"She graduated early. She's only a bit less than three years older than me." he replied a little defensively.

"Oh. Well, that's no so bad then. What's she like?" he demanded with a bounce.

"She's very nice and beautiful and smart."

The rabbit smirked at him, "In that order?"

Haru laughed and tossed a pillow at him. "In any order."

"When do I get to meet her?"

"I don't know. We'll see. I'm taking it slow right now." He checked his watch, "In fact, I need to get out of here. We have a dinner date."

"Okay. I'll see you later, Haru." Momiji said with a grin before bouncing out of the room.

Haru shook his head and headed downstairs at a more sedate pace. He frowned lightly as he spotted Hatori on the porch, getting ready to knock. "Hi, Hatori."

"Hello, Haru. Are you leaving?" the doctor asked, eying the teen's jacket.

"Yes. I have dinner plans today." came the less than enthusiastic reply.

Hatori surprised him by merely nodding, "Be home by ten."

"I will." he replied with a surge of annoyance. "At least, I will as long as I don't get lost."

Hatori frowned, "Do you have your cell phone?"

Haru patted down his pockets absently before finding the phone stashed in the cargo pocket of his pants. _I wonder how it got there?_ He held it up and Hatori's frown deepened before he took it and swapped out the batteries.

"You need to remember to charge your phone, Haru." The teen looked at him blankly so he elaborated, "It was dead."

"Oh. Sorry. I lost my charger." _Thing never stays where I put it anyway._ He withheld a grin at Hatori's barely restrained exasperation. He wasn't nearly as scatterbrained as he let them all think. It just made things easier to pretend and it was kind of fun to annoy his family and teachers.

"I'll have Momiji bring another one by for you tonight."

"Thanks." Haru said before sauntering off the porch and towards the gates. He made it to Michiko's after only two wrong turns so he was only a little late. Since she was expecting him, he knocked and opened the door to poke his head in.

She stepped out of the kitchen and smiled when she spotted him. "Come in and be welcome, Hatsuharu-san."

He closed the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen to help. When she had found out his cooking skills ran only to microwaving she had insisted on providing cooking lessons in exchange for the sparring lessons.

"Here, let's chop up the vegetables first and get them simmering since they take so long." she said before leading him over to a pair of cutting boards and knives.

He watched her demonstrate and followed her example. "This isn't so complicated."

"Exactly. Which is why there's no reason for you to eat microwave food. The stuff can't be good for you." she replied before showing him the next step.

They worked in the kitchen companionably with her giving instruction and him asking questions periodically as they went. He flushed a little as his stomach grumbled in hunger and she laughed before explaining he should be taste testing a bit as they worked. After that he sampled a little bit of each item and it took the edge off his hunger.

When they were done she shooed him to the table and served dinner. They chatted about cooking, books, and whatever else came to mind as they enjoyed their meal. When it was time to clean up he insisted on helping with the dishes and did the washing since he didn't know where anything went yet. They retired to the living room to continue their conversation and completely lost track of time.

The phone in his pocket rang and he looked around curiously before realizing it was his and digging it out of his jacket pocket, where he had stuffed it after Hatori changed out the batteries. "Hello?"

Michiko frowned over at his next comment. "I'm not sure. Hold on and I'll see if anything looks familiar." He remained silent for several moments before speaking again, "No, I'm sorry, Hatori. Nothing looks familiar at all. Don't worry. I'll figure it out and be home as soon as I do . . . . Okay, see you tomorrow. Bye."

He met Michiko's curious gaze, "I guess I'm late getting home." They glanced at the clock and it was eleven thirty. "Hmmm. I guess I better leave."

"What time were you supposed to be home?" she asked, worried.

"Ten." he replied, unconcerned.

"Well, no wonder he's worried. But why did you tell him you were lost?"

He shrugged, "He won't give me a hard time about that. If I tell him that I was talking to you and lost track of time he'd be upset and he'd want to meet you and I don't want them to know about you."

She frowned suspiciously, "Why not?"

He shifted his weight and glanced away. "My family is complicated and I don't want you to be involved. You're my secret. Yuki and Momiji know a little, but that's it."

She reached out to touch his arm, "Involved? They aren't hurting you, are they?"

Haru looked surprised, and in truth he was. _Why would she instantly jump to that conclusion?_ "They aren't hurting me."

She studied him closely to make sure he was telling the truth before nodding. "See you at the dojo tomorrow?"

He smiled slightly, "Yes." He reached over and took her hand to ghost his lips over her knuckles.

Michiko blushed and smiled as she watched him walk out the door.

----------

As fall progressed, dinner on most of the days they didn't spar became part of their regular routine and soon they were seeing each other nearly every day for either sparring or a meal. Sometimes they went out and sometimes they had dinner at her place. When they ate in, he would receive cooking lessons from her and when they ate out they would compare notes on their food and see if they could figure out how to duplicate it. They would talk about everything and nothing for the whole evening. Neither of them really cared for talking on the phone so they rarely missed an opportunity to see each other.

Haru loved the old American black and white horror flicks and when he found out Michiko had never seen one before he stopped their sparring session mid-stretch and dragged her to the theatre.

"How is it possible that you've lived your entire life without seeing at least one classic horror flick?" he asked.

Michiko gave him a look that clearly stated he was crazy, "It's not difficult, really. You just go on about your business and unless one comes walking down the street they pretty much stay under the radar."

He looked at her for a long moment, "You just don't understand about the classics. Don't worry though. By the time Frankenstein and The Mummy are over you will." Much to his delight he had found a theatre playing a double feature with two of his favorites. The lights dimmed and the credits started rolling, "No more talking. Pay attention to the movie."

Michiko raised her brows but indulged him, "All right." She turned her attention to the screen and watched as the movie started. Soon her attention was so wholly with the movie that she didn't notice her hand was still hovering over the popcorn container until Haru's bumped it when he went to grab some.

She jolted a little and blushed when Haru chuckled at her. When she glanced over a moment later his attention was back with the screen and he was speaking along with the movie. Michiko alternated between watching him and the movie and found he was almost as entertaining. His expressions matched the screen and he was dead on with the soundtrack. She chuckled at him before returning to the movie.

Haru glanced over at Michiko as he put the now empty popcorn container on the floor and saw she was again engrossed in the movie. He saw her hands were clenched in her lap and reached over to pull one away. He glanced at her face after he had entwined their fingers and saw she was looking at him and smiling. One gentle tug had her head leaning on his shoulder and his cheek against her silky hair.

When the end credits rolled he asked, "What did you think?"

She squeezed his hand, "I loved it. Is the other one as good?"

"Or better." he replied as he vowed to make sure she at least saw all the good ones. They stayed snuggled together for the whole second movie

On the way home Michiko looked up at Haru, "Can we have a movie night every week? You can bring over your favorites or we can rent what you don't have. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea." he replied with a smile as he started thinking of all the movies she should see. He had enough in his own collection to keep them in movie nights for the next six months. "You really liked them?"

"Yeah. There were creepy and suspenseful. Horror movies these days rely on grossing you out rather than actually scaring you. That's why I never got into them. I'm not really into watching blood flow."

_Exactly!_ he thought as he gave her a soft smile. _She understands._

----------

Haru sighed and shifted in his seat. He was in third period and bored out of his mind. He already knew the math and understood it. He had done his homework, and didn't understand why they had to go on and on and _on _about the same thing. He put his head down on the desk and sighed again.

"Perhaps you'd like to solve this equation, Mr. Sohma?" came the teacher's voice.

Haru blinked slowly at her, "No."

"Well then kindly pay attention. You do want to get into high school next year, don't you?" she growled.

He frowned tiredly before shifting so he was leaning back with his feet kicked out in front of him and his face pointed at the board. He turned her out as she started speaking again and glanced around when a folded piece of paper landed on his desk. The new girl, she'd only been in their class for a week, smiled shyly and he took a moment to worry why before opening the paper to read the note.

_Haru,_

_Would you like to catch a movie with me sometime soon?_

_-Akira _

He sighed deeply. Why would he want to go to the movies with some girl he didn't even know? It's not like you can get to know them better while you're silently watching a movie or anything. Besides, he had Michiko and she was a lot more fun than any middle school girl he'd ever met. He grabbed a pen and wrote her back.

_Akira,_

_No, thank you._

_-Haru_

He glanced at the teacher to make sure she wasn't looking before flicking the paper back to the smiling girl with a flat expression. She eagerly opened the note and her face fell before scribbling something else on the paper and tossing it back.

_You have got to be kidding me. I just said no and she wants to, what, argue about it? Jeez, I hate these stupid fan girls._ He grudgingly opened the note and sighed again as he read it.

_Why not? We could have a lot of fun. We might have enough in common to make it a good time or become friends._

Well, that was a first. Usually they just demanded they give it and as far as he knew none of them had ever considered just being his friend. He pondered for a long moment before writing back.

_You can't get to know someone without speaking to them. You want to be friends, eat lunch with us in the cafeteria. I'm not looking for a girlfriend. Period._

He flicked the note back carelessly but saw her smile when she read the note. Maybe she was honestly interested in making a friend. He wondered what she would make of Momiji before shrugging it off as something he'd find out later.

The bell rang and he gathered his stuff and headed towards the door only to be stopped by a hand on his arm. He followed it up to Akira's face and frowned lightly. "Yes?"

"Thank you." she said softly.

"For what?"

"Giving me a chance."

He paused for a moment before asking, "What do you mean?"

She tugged her hair, which he hadn't really noticed until just then. It was short and nearly as white as his. She was also quite pale and her eyes were a very light green. "The other kids think I'm some kind of freak or something."

Haru's eyes widened in understanding, "They're idiots. What's your next class?"

"Biology." she said softly. "With you."

He shrugged, "Sorry. I don't pay a lot of attention to class."

"I have noticed that." she replied dryly with a hint of a smile. "Bored?"

"Extremely." he responded before falling into step with her.

After a couple of minutes of silence, with her glancing curiously at him every so often, she spoke. "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?" he responded without even looking at her.

"Why I am this way." came the quiet response.

"No. It's none of my business and it doesn't matter." he replied calmly as they entered the classroom.

She smiled genuinely and took a seat next to him just as the bell rang. "Thank you."

He shrugged, "I know a little something about being different for reasons beyond your control."

The teacher called them to order and he settled down to daydream about Michiko. He understood the Biology work as well and felt no need to pay attention to the lecture when he had already finished the entire textbook. It was actually his favorite class, except for the part where the teacher droned on about the same thing for weeks. He flicked notes back and forth with Akira for the whole period. She wasn't so bad and it looked like she wasn't going to turn into a fan girl. _Thank God._


	3. Break In

**Chapter**** 3 – Break In**

Haru waited impatiently for Michiko to answer the door. It was movie night and he had brought over The Creature from the Black Lagoon for her to see. His eyes unfocused as he thought about sitting on the couch with her and watching the movie with her cuddled up to his side. A few minutes later he knocked again, brows furrowing in concern as he realized how long he had been standing there waiting for her to answer. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked to see if she had sent him a message or called and he missed it. Nothing. She always let him know if she was going to be working late on a night they had plans.

After a moment's debate, Haru tried the knob and found the door locked. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before remembering her balcony was near the fire escape. He turned and headed back downstairs to see if he could get in through her sliding door or a window. He knew she usually kept them open to catch the last of the warm weather before winter settled in. A few moments later found him climbing nimbly onto her balcony and trying the door. It was locked. He huffed before going back to her front door and digging through his pockets.

He had made friends with a couple of Yankee's one day when he was lost. The boys had taught him how to open doors that were otherwise closed and, being that it was a useful skill to have, he picked up his own set of tools. A few minutes later he was walking through the unlocked door with a satisfied smile. He felt very uncomfortable but brushed it off as worry about Michiko when he didn't immediately see her.

It was quiet in the apartment and he took a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. He checked the front area but saw no sign of her anywhere so headed towards the back. The bedroom door was closed so he knocked and waited for a moment before opening it cautiously and poking his head inside. There was a small form huddled in the middle of the bed and he hurried over to her.

"Michiko-san? Are you all right?" he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

There was no response so he reached over and tugged the blanket away from her face. He reached out and placed a gentle hand on her forehead to check her temperature and had his cell phone in hand the instant he felt how warm she was.

"Hatori, I need your help, please." He explained what he had found when he got to Michiko's before asking, "What should I do?"

Haru tried to wake her per Hatori's order but she refused to wake up. He couldn't even get her to acknowledge him in any way. "She won't wake up. She hasn't responded to me at all . . . . Thank you, Hatori. I really appreciate it." He gave him the address before shutting the phone and brushing the hair from her face. "Michiko, what happened to you?"

Fifteen minutes later he went to answer a knock at the door. "Hatori, thank you for coming. She's in her room."

Hatori followed him back and reached out to check her temperature. His brows furrowed in concern as he felt how warm she was. He pulled the quilt off the bed and handed it to Haru before returning to his examination. "Please put that somewhere away from the bed. She shouldn't have so many blankets while her fever is this high."

Haru folded it neatly and put it on the chair in the living room before returning to the bedroom to watch Hatori try to wake Michiko. "Do you know if she has any medical allergies, Haru?"

"It hasn't come up."

He bent to look through his bag and pulled out a syringe. "This should help. I'm not sure exactly what she has. It almost seems as if she caught several things at once. I'll stay as long as I can, but she shouldn't be left alone until she's been awake for a couple of hours."

"I'll stay." Haru said quickly.

He frowned lightly as he inserted the syringe into her arm. He watched her closely for a few moments before he straightened, seemingly satisfied. "How long have you known her?"

"A couple months. She's my sparring partner and my friend." came the somewhat evasive reply.

"Would you please bring in a couple chairs for us, Haru?"

He nodded and left the room before returning a moment later with a chair. "She only has the one at her desk."

Hatori accept it and watched as Haru went over to the nearby bookshelf and looked over the titles on the spines for several minutes before choosing one. He glanced at Hatori as he sat down in the vacant chair, "You might want to look a couple of those over. She's been reading about folk medicine and things."

Hatori looked over the shelves curiously before moving his chair closer and pulling a couple out to look at. Haru climbed onto the bed so he could twine his fingers with hers while he read and wait for her to wake up. Soon both of them were engrossed in what they were reading while keeping an eye on Michiko's still form.

"_I've been looking for you." _

_Michiko looked up and saw a woman with red hair. Her face was blurred so she couldn't tell what she looked like. "Who are you?"_

"_You've been sleeping too long, little sister."_

"_What do you mean?" Michiko asked, perfectly unsurprised to know this woman was her sister even though she didn't have one in the waking world._

"_I can feel that something's not right. You need to wake up now. I mean it this time. I know I told you to wake up earlier, and you didn't do as I told you. Now do as I say and WAKE UP!"_

----------

Michiko let out a low moan and Haru looked over to see her face scrunched up. He tightened his grip on her fingers and said her name quietly. She returned the squeeze and slit one eye open.

"H-Hatsuharu-san?" she said in a scratchy voice.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he heard Hatori put away the books he'd been looking through.

She took stock before answering, "Lousy. What are you doing here?"

"You didn't answer the door for movie night and since you hadn't called to cancel I got worried and came in."

She gave him a tired smile, "Welcome to my home. Thank you for worrying about me."

The feeling of unease vanished and he brushed the hair from her face, "Any time."

Hatori entered her line of sight and she looked at him curiously. "I am Sohma Hatori, the family doctor. Do you work in a hospital?" he asked.

"N-no. Welcome to my home, Sohma-sensei."

"Would you please list your symptoms for me?" he requested, ignoring the flood of warmth that her words triggered.

"Um, fever, sore throat, headache, stomach ache, sore muscles, itchy spots, stuffy nose, dazed, and generally crummy." she replied slowly. "What happened to me?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that. What's the last thing you remember?" Hatori asked.

Michiko's eyes unfocused as she tried to remember the previous day. She remembered going to work. She had found the spell she was looking for and had cast it on the object. She had started feeling ill right after the first counter she had cast and it had gotten worse with each attempt until she had finally given up and gone home. _Oh. Damn. It was a reaction to the counter spells I tried. What did it do to me? I feel awful. I don't think I can apparate myself to the healer's like this. How do I explain this away?_

"I remember going to work and then not feeling well. I started feeling progressively worse and decided to go home early. I drank some water to help flush it out of my system and then went to bed. Wait a minute. Hatsuharu-san, did you say it was movie night?"

"Yes."

She sat up suddenly, "But that means I've been in bed for two days. I haven't called my boss. I hope I'm not in trouble."

"I'm sure they'll understand." Haru said as he pushed her back down onto the bed. "In the meantime you need to rest and get better."

Hatori came over and checked her over. "You seem to be doing a little better than when we got here. You'll need to rest for a couple of days. No working."

"Yes, sir. How much do I owe you?" she asked.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Haru said.

"No charge. Just get better. Haru was very worried about you."

When Haru opened the door he saw a woman probably about Hatori's age standing there looking worried. She had very blond hair and bright green eyes.

"May I help you?" he asked.

She looked at him in confusion before double checking the apartment number on the door. "I'm looking for Sato Michiko."

"She's not feeling well. May I ask why you're looking for her and pass along a message?" Haru asked politely.

"I'm a co-worker, Oonishi Kishi. She went home early two days ago and no one has heard from her. I'm very worried. Is she all right?"

"Please come in. I'll see if she's up to talking with you, Kishi-san." Haru showed her into the living room before heading back to the bedroom.

Hatori and Michiko looked over at him expectantly. "Oonishi Kishi is here to speak with you. She's worried because they didn't hear from you. Do you feel well enough to talk with her?" Haru asked.

Michiko's eyes widened but she nodded immediately. "Of course. She's my department head."

Haru went out and brought Kishi back with him. She looked at Michiko with concern written clearly across her face.

"Hello, Oonishi-sama." Michiko greeted. She indicated to Hatori, "This is Sohma Hatori, a doctor. He said I'll be fine in a few days." She nodded to Haru, who had taken up his post by her bed, "This is my good friend Sohma Hatsuharu."

"It's nice to meet you." Kishi smiled at the two, though her eyes lingered on Hatori for a moment before returning to Michiko. "Michiko-san, I'm happy you're all right. I was worried about you."

"I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry for missing work." Michiko replied nervously.

"It's fine." She turned her attention to the two males, "Would you two please excuse us for a few minutes? Michiko was working on a top priority, high security project and I need to discuss the status of it with her since she'll be staying home for a few days."

"Of course." Hatori said before following Haru out of the room.

Once they were out of the room, Kishi pulled out her wand and locked and silenced the door before dragging the chair next to the bed. "Michiko-san, what happened?"

"I believe that the failed counter spells reacted with the curse in such a way as to make me ill. The more times I tried to counter it the worse my symptoms became. Probably infecting me with a different disease each time I tried."

"I'll assign someone to your case, top priority." Kishi told her.

"Oh, no Oonishi-sama, that won't be necessary. Whatever Sohma-sensei gave me worked very well. I think I'll be fine in another day or two. Now that I'm awake I can speed the process along."

"I've been worried about you being alone for a long time, Michiko-san. I'm happy you are finally making friends." Michiko looked up at the older woman in surprise. "Of course I noticed. It's my job to keep an eye on my employees. My predecessor gave me an outline of your history and asked me specifically to watch after you."

"I had no idea."

"You weren't supposed to."

Michiko looked down at her hands, "Thank you, Oonishi-sama."

"Please call me Kishi, Michiko-san."

She looked up, "Thank you, Kishi-sama."

Kishi shook her head in exasperation before smiling at her youngest employee. "So, that Hatsuharu is pretty cute. Is he really just a friend?"

Michiko's blush gave her away before she could stammer an answer, "I'm not sure."

"How did he come to be here?" Kishi pressed.

"He said he was worried when I didn't answer the door. We had plans for tonight."

"How did he get in?"

"He came through the door." Michiko frowned lightly, "The locked door."

Kishi's eyes danced with glee, "I'd say that would be a no."

"Really?" Michiko asked.

"Yes. What about Hatori?" she asked with a gleam in her eye. "He's rather handsome, don't you think?"

"Um, yes?" Michiko answered. "Hatsuharu asked him to come when he saw how sick I was."

"Interesting. Well, we should probably let them back in before your 'friend' worries too much." Kishi replied as she uncharmed the door.

"You can come back in now." she called after she had pulled it open and returned to her seat.

A moment later Haru walked through the door and directly over to Michiko. "You should get some rest, Michiko-san."

"As soon as everyone's gone I'll go back to sleep." she assured him.

"You can't be left alone for at least a few more hours, Michiko-san and it would probably be best if someone were here until tomorrow morning." Hatori said as he walked through the door. "We need to be sure you don't have a bad reaction to the medication I gave you and that you are sufficiently recovered to look after yourself. If we leave and you return to your previous condition how will we know?"

"I told you before, Hatori, I'll stay with her." Haru said.

"You can't spend all night here, Haru. You're parents will worry about you." Hatori reasoned.

"No, they won't. You know they're out of town. I'm staying." he argued.

"It's not appropriate for you to stay here all night." Hatori tried again.

"I. Am. Not. Leaving." Haru stated clearly, eyes darkening.

Kishi gave Michiko a meaningful glance as the two males continued to go back and forth. Michiko's eyes widened as she realized that Kishi was right about Hatsuharu being more than a friend.

"I will stay as well." Kishi interrupted what was shaping up to be an entertaining argument.

Three sets of eyes turned towards her. Michiko's were surprised, Hatsuharu's were relieved, and Hatori's were unreadable.

"Make sure she eats something and gets plenty of water and rest." was all he said before turning to pack up his bag.

Haru sat on the foot of the bed so he could be near Michiko. He rested a hand on her foot and smiled down at her.

Hatori straightened as he closed his bag and walked over to the door.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Hatori." Haru said with a small smile.

"Yes, thank you, Sohma-sensei."

Hatori's shoulders relaxed. "It's no trouble. Make sure she takes care of herself."

"We will. Let me walk you out." Kishi said softly as she stood up and headed over to him.

Haru immediately moved to the chair so he could hold Michiko's hand. "See you tomorrow, Hatori."

Hatori nodded as he allowed Kishi to lead him out.

"You didn't mention you worked for the government." Haru said to Michiko.

"I don't. I work for a private firm that works with the government when they have a need for our research facilities. Most of what I do is highly confidential." she replied quietly.

"Ah. I see. How are you feeling, Michiko-san?"

"Better than when I woke up. I'm very hungry though. I should cook some dinner for everyone."

"I'll cook something. You are supposed to be resting, so stay put and I'll wake you when it's ready."

"Oh, Hatsuharu-san, you don't have to do that." she argued.

"Yes, I do. Now go to sleep." He frowned fiercely at her for a moment and she relented.

"Fine." she huffed before laying down.

He pulled the blankets up and tucked her in. "I'll be back in a little while. Stay put." he said as he brushed a hand across her forehead.

He entered the living room and saw Kishi and Hatori still talking but ignored them for the kitchen. He had helped Michiko cook dinner and clean up enough times by now that he knew where most everything was kept and what she liked to eat. And he settled on something simple so he'd be able to make it alone.

The sound of the door closing reached his ears several minutes later and then Kishi walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she watched him move confidently around the kitchen.

"Making dinner. Michiko hasn't eaten in at least two days and she's hungry."

"I imagine she is." the woman replied before leaning comfortably against the counter so she could continue watching him cook. Appetizing smells were starting to come from the stovetop.

"How did you meet Michiko?" Kishi asked.

"At Sensei's dojo. She's my sparring partner." he replied.

"Sparring? I didn't realize she knew how to fight. I might have worried about her less."

"She's very good. You should still worry about her though. I've gotten the impression there aren't many that do."

"Do you worry about her a lot?"

He shrugged, "Enough. I see her four or five times a week so I can keep a pretty close eye on her, but I'm glad I broke into her apartment today. Who knows what would have happened to her otherwise."

Kishi's brow went up, "You _broke_ into her apartment?"

Haru shrugged. "I was worried. It's not like her to cancel plans without letting me know."

"I see. You look very comfortable in her kitchen." she stated.

He gave her a bland look before turning back to his cooking. "I help her cook dinner and clean up a couple times a week."

"Thank you for keeping an eye on her." Kishi said sincerely.

He shrugged, "That's what friends do."

"So you're just friends?" she asked quietly. "That's not the impression I've gotten."

"Does it matter? I'm taking care of her. That's what's important."

"I like to know the reason behind people's actions. Especially where she's concerned. I've watched over her for years and have noticed some small changes in the last couple of months. I'm inclined to think they are because of you."

"I haven't asked her to change anything." he defended, distressed that someone would think so.

"They are changes for the better. I am not accusing you of anything untoward."

He turned to study her closely, "I care about her."

She smiled, "I'm glad. I'm going to make sure she's resting and not trying to sneak in some reading. Let me know if you need any help."

He brushed that off, "Just keep an eye on her while I finish up here."

----------

Michiko woke up and saw Haru had fallen asleep while holding her hand and reading a book. She smiled at him before gently removing the book from under his face and putting it on the other side of the bed. She checked the spine and was surprised to see he was reading one of her books that dealt with Muggle theory on energy work. She shrugged it off as unimportant since it wasn't one of her magical texts. She ran her hand over his head before settling down and going back to sleep.

Kishi had watched the exchange quietly from the doorway. She had come in to check on Michiko and Haru since she hadn't heard anything from the room for over an hour and Haru hadn't come back out yet. It appeared he had no intention of doing so. She smiled at the pair and brought a blanket from the living room to drape over his sleeping form before returning to the couch and her own book.

She checked on them periodically throughout the night. The only change was that Michiko moved to curl closer to him. Kishi reflected that for as closely as she had watched this girl for the last few years she still didn't know her very well. She may have known some of her darker secrets, but she knew that was the least of who Michiko was. She was a dedicated researcher and Kishi was delighted to have on her team. It gave her company a competitive edge over the competition. She was also a very good healer, and in an office where test spells were done almost hourly that was a blessing in itself. They had never staffed a medic before and she found things much improved now that Michiko was there for emergencies. She kept a cool head and did what needed to be done. Kishi had sent to her several medic classes to improve her skills and it had been worth the investment. All the same, Kishi couldn't help but wonder about the girl she was outside of work. She had learned that Michiko could fight very well. When had she learned that and why? What else had she missed while watching over her?

Kishi pondered the girl under her watch for a while longer before returning to her book. A few hours later, as the sun peeked over the horizon, she went to check on them again. Michiko was stirring slightly so Kishi decided to start breakfast. A little while later she was setting up a tray for Michiko when she heard her voice.

"Hatsuharu-san, I can walk to the kitchen. I'm hungry. Dinner last night was delicious and I'm very grateful you made it, but it was a long time ago. _Please get out from between me and the kitchen." _She squealed in surprise before saying, "What are you doing? Put me down this instant. I don't want to go back to bed! I want breakfast!"

Haru glared down at Michiko and tried to pull the blankets back over her lap while she glared right back and pushed them off. After tussling for a moment more he sat down on the bed next to her and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. "Michiko-san, please get back in bed. I'll make you anything you want for breakfast."

She stilled before reaching up to touch his cheek, "Okay."

"Good morning." Kishi said brightly. "I have breakfast."

They broke apart and looked over at her. Michiko smiled widely as her stomach growled. Haru chuckled at her and she gave him a mock glare. "I told you I was hungry. Good morning Kishi-sama. You didn't have to go to all that trouble."

"It's no trouble." Kishi said as she brought the tray over. "Hatsuharu-san, I made you a plate as well. It's in the kitchen if you would like to go get it and bring it back."

"Thank you, Kishi-san." he replied before heading out to the kitchen. He picked up both plates and got to the bedroom doorway in time to hear Kishi speaking to Michiko.

"Let him pamper you a bit while you're sick. He feels better, you feel better, there's no harm in it, is there?"

"Well, no, I-I guess not."

"Exactly. So let him take care of you. It's not everyday you'll find someone that cares enough to make sure you're taken care of, okay?"

Michiko smiled a little, "You're right, Kishi-sama."

Haru walked in and smiled at Kishi, "I brought your plate."

She returned the smile and all three settled down to eat and chat. Once breakfast was done Kishi stood, "I should get back to the office and let everyone know you're all right."

"Thank you for helping me, Kishi-sama. I'll be back at work tomorrow."

Haru opened his mouth to argue but Kishi beat him to it. "If I see you in the office before Monday I will personally take you home and call Hatsuharu to help me keep an eye on you. Think of all the work and school that would be missed . . . ." she threatened.

"Monday?! But, today is Thursday. I can't take off a week of work." Michiko argued, aghast.

"Keep arguing and I'll make it two. You've never taken so much as a single vacation day. You're messing up my books." Kishi shot back. "Michiko-san, please. Take it easy for a few days. We'll survive without you for that long." she continued in a gentler voice.

Michiko relented in the face of her supervisor's kindness. "If that is what you wish, Kishi-sama, then I will stay home until Monday."

"Thank you. Now I need to get to work and I imagine Hatsuharu needs to get to school."

"I'll be fine if I miss a day." Haru said. He already had his homework done anyway.

Kishi raised a brow but decided to let Michiko fight that battle. "Send me a note if you need anything." she told Michiko.

"I will. Thank you for your help, Kishi-sama. See you in a few days." Michiko said. Haru got up and walked Kishi out and saw Hatori raising a hand to knock as he opened the door.

"Well, good morning, Hatori-san. How lovely to see you. Why don't you join me for a cup of coffee and we'll talk? I didn't get a chance to tell you how very much I appreciate your helping Michiko yesterday. She's such an excellent employee and I've been trying to look after her ever since I was made department head." Kishi said as she linked her arm with his and shot Haru a wink as she pulled Hatori away.

Haru gave her a grateful look before closing the door gently and returning to Michiko's room. He smiled at the stern look on her face. "I'll go for half a day and no more."

She smiled back. "Okay."

He checked the clock, "I better go if I'm going to make it in time." He walked over and brushed a kiss across her forehead. "I'll see you in a couple of hours. Behave yourself, Michiko-san."

"I will. See you in a couple of hours, Hatsuharu-san."

Michiko smiled as he left, before lying back on the pillows. She was exhausted and ready for a nap. As she drifted she thought about Hatsuharu. He was so sweet and she was pleased and surprised to find that she was coming to care for him. If the last day was anything to go by the feelings were returned. She smiled as she thought of all the time they had been spending together over the last couple months and hoped it continued. Kishi was right about it not being everyday a person found someone that cared. She sighed happily as she drifted to sleep already feeling nearly like her usual self.

----------

Haru turned around in surprise as he heard his name called by a vaguely familiar voice. He checked to make sure the door was locked before looking up at Akira who was walking down the hallway towards him with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Hatsuharu-san. I didn't know you lived here too." she said cheerfully.

"I don't. My friend lives here."

Akira considered him for a moment before smiling again, "Ah. No wonder you're not looking for a girlfriend. You've already found one."

He blushed slightly, "You know Michiko?"

"I've seen her a couple of times. I was making cookies for my father and realized halfway through I didn't have enough brown sugar. I was on my way out and she was on the way in so I asked if I could have some of hers. She gave me the bag so I gave her cookies as payment. She seems very nice. And she's very pretty, too." she replied as they descended the narrow staircase and stepping into the early morning sunshine. "But what are you doing here so early?"

"She's not feeling well so I stayed to keep an eye on her." he replied quietly. "Please don't mention her to anyone."

Akira shook her head, "I wouldn't. It's none of my business. It's very sweet of you to stay to make sure she's all right."

He shrugged self-consciously and continued to follow her to the school. They took seats next to each other and spent the periods they had together flicking notes back and forth. She was bored as well and had no difficulty keeping up with the work. She was more fun to talk to than he anticipated and didn't try to flirt with him at all. It was nice to be able to talk to a girl that wasn't related to him and didn't want to date him.

----------

"Michiko-chan, do you want to go out tonight?" Hatsuharu asked. "We haven't been out since you got sick and I can tell that you are tired of being home or at work."

She smiled, "Sure. Where to?"

"Kagura told me about a place we can go dancing. It's not too loud and they have good music. Do you want to go?" he asked.

Michiko smiled, "Sure that sounds like fun."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. A few wrong turns later they finally found the place and stepped inside. They looked around the dim interior and saw that it was not too crowded, probably because it was a week night.

They found a table and dropped off their jackets before Haru pulled her out onto the floor and they started to dance. Several songs later they were laughing and headed over to the bar to get some water. They took their seats breathlessly and downed half their bottles.

"Having a good time?" Haru asked her.

"Yes. I haven't been dancing in ages." she said, smiling.

"Ready to go again?"

She grabbed his hand and dragged him back onto the floor. They danced to a few more songs and a girl asked to cut in. Michiko smiled and nodded before stepping away and into the restroom for a moment. She smiled at her reflection and headed back to their table for another drink of water.

Michiko looked over the dance floor and saw Hatsuharu dancing with the same girl. She kept trying to put her arms around him and he kept evading her. He looked so uncomfortable she felt bad for leaving him and decided to get him away from the girl.

"I'm back." she purred as she came up behind her.

Hatsuharu gave her a grateful look and thanked the other girl politely before taking Michiko's hand and leading her back to the table.

"She really wouldn't take a hint." he complained.

Michiko looked over at him, "You really don't like to be that close to people, do you?"

He shrugged slightly, "I don't like to be hugged. It makes me uncomfortable. Especially when strangers try to do it."

"Ah. I had wondered about that." she replied cheerfully.

"Why?"

"I don't go out often but every guy I've gone out with tries to get grabby after the third date. We've known each other for almost four months now and you are the glaring exception to the rule." came the happy reply.

A slow song came on and he leaned close, "Dance with me?"

"Okay." she smiled and let him lead her onto the floor.

He pulled her close, but not too close, and rested his hands on her hips. "So, have we gone out enough times yet for you to let me kiss you?" he asked as they slowly revolved around the floor.

"Hugging bothers you but kissing is okay?" she asked curiously. At his nod she gave a small shrug, "Yes?"

He leaned close and settled his lips softly on hers. The rest of the evening passed in a blur of dancing and stolen kisses. When he dropped her off at her apartment late that evening Michiko smiled at him.

"Thanks for taking me dancing tonight. I had a lot of fun."

"Any time you want to go, let me know." he replied as he reached out to run his fingers through her hair. "I have a family thing for New Year's so I won't be able to get away for a few days."

"All right. See you next week." She reached up to pull him down for a lingering kiss before saying goodnight.


	4. More Sohmas

**Notes:** I borrowed a scene from the anime for fun. I don't own anything but Michiko. - Tali

**Chapter ****4 – More Sohmas**

Michiko was passing the high school on her way home from work when she spotted a familiar head of black and white hair fighting with an unfamiliar head of bright orange hair. She changed direction and moved carefully around the fight so she could introduce herself to the other two bystanders.

"Hello! I'm Sato Michiko. Are you friends of Hatsuharu?"

The pretty dark haired girl in a blue school uniform turned towards her with a smile, "Hello, I'm Honda Tohru. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well, Tohru-san."

The violet eyed boy next to Tohru stepped towards Michiko, "Hello Sato-san. I'm Sohma Yuki, Haru's cousin. It is nice to meet you."

Michiko bowed and smiled in return. "Pleased to meet you, Sohma-san."

"How do you know Haru?" Yuki asked.

"We met at the dojo. Kazuma asked him to spar with me so he would know what class I should go into."

Yuki looked at the delicate girl with slightly widened eyes, "You spar? What class are you in?"

"He said I'm welcome to join the advanced class whenever Hatsuharu is not available for me to spar with. He also said Kyou is very skilled as well and I'm hoping to spar with him someday too."

Yuki considered the girl in front of him for a moment more before offering, "If neither of them are available, perhaps we could spar."

Michiko clapped her hands together in delight. "That would be wonderful, Sohma-san! Who is Hatsuharu fighting with?"

"That is Kyou."

They returned their attention to Kyou and Haru, who were very evenly matched. She quirked a brow as she listened to Haru taunt Kyou about girl standing next to her. It really seemed to upset him. Their styles were similar but Kyou was brasher and easily needled. Suddenly, Michiko noticed an odd sound coming from beside her. She turned and saw Yuki pale and his breath start hitching.

"Sohma-san, are you all right?" she asked in concern.

"Yuki-kun!" Tohru cried. Haru and Kyou stopped fighting and turned towards the trio.

Yuki tried to nod his head but lack of oxygen made him dizzy and he started to fall. Michiko put an arm around his waist on one side and Tohru on the other and they lowered him to the ground carefully.

"Sohma-san, what's wrong?"

"He's asthmatic. It looks like he's having an attack." Haru snapped. Michiko scrambled around so she could put Yuki's head on her lap and discreetly shook her sleeves over her hands.

"Sohma-san. Listen to me." she said urgently. Michiko placed a hand on his chest to keep track of his breathing and heartbeat and placed her other hand on his head but kept them hidden within her sleeves so no one would notice the glow. "Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. Relax. See yourself breathing freely and having as much oxygen as you need." She concentrated hard as she silently incanted the spell with her wand only just past her fingertips. She spoke soothingly as her wand was safely tucked back into her sleeve hem then lightly rested her fingertips on his forehead. His breathing slowly evened out and he took a deep breath. "Better, Sohma-san?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sato-san." Yuki then became aware of the fact that he had his head in a strange girl's lap. He blushed furiously and sat up, almost knocking heads with her. The abrupt movement made him slightly dizzy so he stayed on the ground next to Tohru. "What did you do, Sato-san?" he asked.

"Oh, it was Reiki." she replied hoping they would buy it. Yuki nodded before accepting Tohru's hand up

Michiko saw a hand enter her field of vision and followed it up to Hatsuharu. She accepted it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He smiled at her in a very predatory way and started backing her towards the wall.

"Hello, Kitten. Did you miss me?" Her back hit the wall and he placed a hand on it, near her head, to cage her in. His other rose to her face and caressed her cheek.

"H-Hatsuharu-kun? W-what are you doing?" she asked in surprise.

He moved his hand from her cheek to her hair and sifted his fingers through it. "What does it look like, Kitten?" he drawled.

Michiko glanced wide-eyed at the others before Yuki sighed, "I see you haven't met Black Haru yet."

"Black Haru?" she asked in confusion while swatting hands from wandering where they shouldn't be and fighting the blush she could feel on her cheeks.

"It's the darker side of his personality. He only shows up when Haru is angry. Usually he's White Haru, but when he fights or gets very annoyed he tends to go Black."

"Oh. Okay." she returned her attention to Hatsuharu as his hands continued to try to wander.

He curled his lips into a wicked smiled. "Pretty kitty, wanna play?" he asked before leaning closer and trailing kisses down her neck while his free hand firmly gripped her hip.

"What are you doing, you stupid cow?" Kyou yelled.

Black Haru turned his head to the side, "I. Am. Not. STUPID. Now shut up, baka neko! I'm busy."

Michiko gasped as his hand found a ticklish spot and Yuki and Kyou stepped forward to pull him away from the girl before he could upset her. Suddenly she whipped them around so that he was against the wall with his hands pinned, one above his head and the other near his hip. His eyes widened in appreciation as he took it as an invitation. Michiko's eyes took on a predatory gleam of their own as she leaned close to him. She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, "Kitty wants to play," she paused as she pulled away until she could look into his eyes and her lips were a hair's breadth from his, "but not with _Black_ Haru today."

Haru's eyes widened as Black Haru receded and he became aware of the position they were in.

Michiko had been watching his face carefully and saw when he changed back to White Haru. She smiled at his blush and straightened before asking, "Hatsuharu-kun, what happened? You missed sparring practice and our movie night."

"Yeah, w-well actually I left on Sunday with the intention of coming here, but I was swept away into the heart of the dark urban wilderness and it took me three days to find my way out." he replied.

Yuki sighed, "Why don't you just say that you got lost?"

Kyou laughed, "His sense of direction's as crappy as ever."

"But if you're gonna get lost, that's an impressive way to do it." Tohru said cheerfully.

"Oh, yeah? Well, that means that he hasn't had a bath in three days. Gross!" Kyou complained.

Michiko smiled at Haru, "When you said you had a bad sense of direction, I didn't realize it was quite that serious."

He shuffled his feet a bit, "I'm sorry I missed movie night. Do you want to change it to today instead?"

"I'd love to. You can tell me all about Black Haru too."

He sighed, "Sorry about that. Nothing serious happened, did it? I hope I didn't scare you."

She giggled, "No, you didn't scare me. You just surprised me. I've let my guard down around you and didn't know what to make of you acting like that. Can we still spar tomorrow?"

"You spar?" Kyou asked in shock.

She gave him a tiny frown before nodding. "I'm Michiko. Hatsuharu said you are very skilled. Would you spar with me sometime?"

Kyou scratched the back of his head, "I wouldn't want to hurt you, you know sparring."

Michiko replied, "I spar with Hatsuharu all the time and haven't gotten hurt so far."

"I can't hit a girl." Kyou yelled.

Michiko let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll be fine. Hatsuharu tries to hit me all the time and I'm still standing."

"That's just weird." Kyou huffed.

"Kazuma suggested I spar with you as well."

"Shishou?"

She nodded.

"Hey wait a minute! You're the girl that Haru's always sparring with in the back room?"

"Yes."

"Then we can spar sometime."

She bowed gracefully, "Thank you. I look forward to learning from you."

Haru stepped towards her and reached for her hand, "What do you say we start movie night early?"

She smiled at him and nodded. She turned back as he started to lead her away and cheerfully called, "It was nice meeting all of you. I'll see you later."

Haru walked with her in a companionable silence until they reached her apartment. Once she had the lamps lit she looked over at him. "Kyou did have a point. Would you like to take a shower while I make dinner? I'll freshen your clothes as well if you like?"

Haru considered her for a moment and felt his black side struggling to surface at the idea of her and showers. "I don't want to be any trouble."

"It's no trouble. The master bathroom is attached to the bedroom so you can put your clothes on the bed and close the bathroom door. I'll freshen them and put them back."

He did feel kind of grungy and could use a shower. "Okay. Thank you, Michiko-chan."

She blushed, "You're welcome, Hatsuharu-kun."

He headed towards the shower and she started working on dinner. After about five minutes of hearing the water run she peeked into the bedroom to make sure the bathroom door was closed. It was, so she picked up his clothes and took them into the living room. She hit them with a couple freshening charms, took them back, and laid them neatly on the bed. She carefully closed the bedroom door behind her and went back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

As she was putting the final touches on it, Haru came out with his hair dripping. "Hatsuharu-kun, why are you dripping all over the floor?"

He shrugged, "I'm hungry and dinner smells delicious."

She hustled him back into the bathroom, sat him on the edge of the tub and toweled his hair until it stopped dripping then combed it neatly.

He looked into the mirror and back at her with a raised brow. Michiko smiled and ran her fingers through it until it was properly messy again. Haru grasped her hand and pressed a small kiss into her palm. Her gaze softened and she leaned forward to brush her lips across his forehead and he tugged her down sideways onto his lap so he could wrap his arms loosely around her waist. Michiko leaned her forehead against his as he asked, "I really didn't scare you?"

"No. I can handle Black Haru, now that I know who he is. I would like to get to know him better."

"You _want _to know him?"

She shifted so she could look into his eyes, "Of course I do. I care about you. I want to know you better, and since you have two sides I want to know both."

He stared at her for several moments. No one ever wanted to know Black Haru. Everyone was terrified of him and would often knock him out or avoid him until he went White again. Even Yuki barely put up with him. He could see the sincerity in her eyes and it took his breath away. "You really weren't scared were you? Even when Kyou and I were fighting?"

"Nope."

He shook his head in amazement, "You're the first person to ever say that."

She shrugged, not truly understanding. "He's part of you. To love someone is to love all of them. If I couldn't accept Black Haru as part of you then we'll never get any further than we were this morning." She wiggled off his lap and held out a hand, "Come on, dinner's ready and I can hear your stomach growling. Did you forget to eat while you were wandering all over town?"

Haru accepted the hand but got pushed back down onto the edge of the tub when he went to stand up. He looked up at her and saw her staring at his knuckles. She sensed his eyes on her and looked up with a small frown.

"Let me bandage these for you." She turned and pulled out a first aid kit before he could respond.

He watched curiously as she very gently cleaned the scrapes on his knuckles with alcohol and blew gently to ease the sting. She bandaged up his hands and fussed over him the entire time she did it.

"You know, for someone that can throw a punch you get awfully worried about scraped knuckles."

"I just don't see any reason to risk an infection unnecessarily." she replied primly as she offered her hand again so he could follow her into the dining room. They chatted about this and that during their meal and afterwards he helped her with the dishes.

"What kind of movie do you want to watch, Michiko-chan?"

"A scary one please, Hatsuharu-kun."

He smiled at her and went into the living room to pick one out. He was pleased she finally agreed to watch a truly scary movie. She blew out some of the lamps and turned others down. Haru turned to her questioningly. "You can't watch a scary movie with all the lights on."

"True." he agreed before taking a seat on the couch.

She sat next to him and took his hand, "You don't mind if I hide against you if I get scared, do you?"

He chuckled at her. She was fine with Black Haru but a creepy movie scared her? He could really come to love this girl. "It's fine."

She leaned against him as the opening credits rolled. Having her so close made it hard to concentrate on the movie but she was pretty funny to watch thrillers with. She would bury her face in his shoulder at the scary parts and yell at the heroine when she did something stupid. By the time the movie was over she was halfway into his lap and he was torn between wanting to keep her there and worrying that if she got much closer he would transform.

She peeked up at him and smiled. "That was a good movie. Do we have time to watch something else?"

Haru checked his watch. It was only about eight. "Sure. What kind this time?"

"Anything but scary. I don't want to be up all night because I watched one too close to bedtime." she replied as she got up from the couch to look through movies. A few moments later she held up box. "How about this one?"

Haru didn't recognize it, "Sure. I don't think I've seen that one before."

"It's pretty good." she replied as she dropped the disk into the player and returned to the couch. She settled next to him and he leaned his head against her shoulder. She reached over and twined her fingers with his as the movie began.

----------

Haru opened his eyes as sunlight crept under his lids. He stretched a bit and looked around. _This is not my room._ He focused on an oil lamp on the table in front of him and realized he must have fallen asleep while he and Michiko were watching T.V. last night. He cautiously looked around and realized he was lying behind Michiko on the couch. He decided it was a fine place to be and settled down to sleep a bit more. They had ended up watching movies late into the night, maybe too late. He was supposed to be staying at Shigure's for the week and thought he should probably give him a call to let him know he was okay and would be back later today. For now though, he was going to enjoy the rare pleasure of being so close to Michiko. His thoughts drifted as he dozed and he snuggled closer to his girl as he fell back to sleep.

An unknowable amount of time later Michiko's cell phone rang. She lifted her hand and pat the table top until she found it, then flipped it open. "Hello?" she asked more asleep than awake.

"Michiko-san, have you seen Haru since yesterday afternoon?" an unfamiliar voice asked from the other end.

"Who is this, please?" she asked groggily, eyes still closed.

"I'm Sohma Shigure. Haru was supposed to stay with me this week but he hasn't been back since the morning he dropped off his overnight bag. Kyou and Yuki said they saw him yesterday and then he went with you. I got your number from Kazuma's files."

"Hatsuharu's missing?" she asked, trying to wake up fully and not there yet. Suddenly the phone was plucked from her hand and she nearly fell off the couch trying to see who took it.

Only Haru's quick reflexes kept her from rolling right off of it and the arm holding the phone in front of his chest from him transforming when he got her back onto the couch.

"Good morning, Sensei. I was going to call you later." he said sleepily.

"Haru! Did you spend the night over there, you naughty boy?" Shigure asked.

Haru huffed, "Does every thought that goes through your head have to be dirty?" Michiko giggled a little at his irritated look.

"So you didn't spend the night?"

"Yes, I spent the night." he replied irritably. "We fell asleep watching movies. We would probably still be sleeping if the phone hadn't woken us up."

"You should bring her over for dinner tonight. I need to know who you're spending your time with. Make sure she's as lovely as she sounds."

"Fine. Whatever. We'll be there later. Goodbye." he growled and hung up the phone.

Michiko spoke from her spot under his chin, "Are you in trouble?"

Haru draped an arm around her and drew patterns on her back, "Nah. I was supposed to stay with him this week and I haven't been back since I dropped off my clothes. I woke up a while ago and thought about calling him but wasn't ready to talk to him so early in the morning."

"Why do you call him Sensei?" she asked.

Haru have a half shrug, "I asked him to help my cousin, Yuki, and he said he would if I called him that in return."

"Oh. Where's your cell phone?" she asked.

"At home. The battery died a week ago and I haven't gotten around to charging it again."

She shook her head and giggled. "You're really too much, you know. Do you want to go back to sleep or are you ready to get up?"

His stomach growled at just that moment and she giggled again. "Breakfast it is." she headed towards the bathroom to clean up before starting breakfast.

Haru put his head back down on the couch and dozed until she came back out with her hair damp and her skin still rosy from the shower. "I put out a spare toothbrush if you would like to make use of it."

He swung into a sitting position and nodded.

"I'll get breakfast started." she said cheerfully.

----------

After they had cleaned up Haru turned to Michiko, "Do you want to go over there now or wait until later?"

"Now's fine. Let me grab my purse."

They headed out into the early afternoon sunshine and started walking in the direction Haru thought Shigure's house was in.

Three hours later Michiko cheerfully asked, "May I please call him to get directions now? I'm starting to get hungry from all this walking."

Haru stared around at the semi-familiar buildings and decided he had no idea how to get from here to the inu's house. "Okay."

Michiko opened her phone and dialed the number. "Do you want to talk to him or should I?"

"You can talk to him." he replied, still not ready to listen to Shigure's special brand of lunacy.

Someone picked up the other line, "Hello, this is Michiko." Haru stepped close to her to hear the other end of the conversation and be close to her.

"What do you want?" Kyou asked from the other end.

"Directions to Shigure's house?" she asked.

"I thought Haru was with you? Oh, wait, that's right. He can't find his way out of a paper bag."

Michiko had some trouble finding a response to that after their three hour walk so remained quiet, waiting for Kyou to stop laughing. After about five minutes she got impatient and demanded he give the phone to someone else. After a brief pause, with Kyou still laughing in the background, another voice came on the line.

"Hello?"

"Is this Yuki-san?"

"Who is this please?"

"Michiko. I'm with Haru and would like directions to Shigure's house please."

Yuki didn't laugh but she could hear amusement color his voice as he asked where they were. A few minutes later she had directions written down on a scrap of paper from Haru's pocket. She labeled it so that if he got lost in the same place again he would have directions next time. They walked hand in hand for the rest of the trip.

Haru opened the door and ushered her into a mad house. "Welcome to Shigure's."

A dark haired, madly giggling man in gray robes went running by with Kyou hot on his heels yelling for all the world to hear, "I am NOT her pretty kitty!" while a young blond boy laughed at them and sing songed "Pretty kitty" repeatedly in the background.

A white haired man in flowing robes flitted up to them. "Haru, is this the lovely blossom that you've been spending so much time with?" He took Michiko's hand and kissed it lavishly. "I am Ayame, Yuki's big brother. It is a pleasure to meet you." He snaked an arm around her shoulders and led her into the living room.

"Ha'ri, come meet Haru's lovely blossom. Blossom, this is Ha'ri." he indicated to a serious man with dark hair covering part of his face.

She bowed, "Hello, Sohma-sensei. It's nice to see you again."

He gave her a slight smile. "It's nice to see you doing so well, Michiko-san."

"How did you meet Haru's blossom?" Ayame asked, mock jealously in his voice.

"Haru called me over when she was sick a while ago." he replied.

"Ah, working your magic on her, were you?" Ayame said before he snagged Shigure, "Gure, darling, come meet Haru's blossom."

Shigure stopped in his tracks and Kyou ran right into his back, sending them both sprawling. Kyou started pummeling everything he could reach. Michiko causally reached down to pull Kyou off Shigure before blood started to flow. He swung around in retaliation, thinking it was Yuki and the only thing that kept his fist from connecting with her cheek was Haru catching it.

"Maybe don't do that again, Michiko-chan?" Haru asked casually.

She hadn't even flinched. "Maybe not until we know each other better. I did not realize he would be accustomed to people pulling him out of fights only to pick new ones. I think you can let go of his fist now, Hatsuharu-kun." she said with a grin as she watched Kyou trying to free his hand from Haru's iron grip. Haru released his hand and Kyou almost fell over from the abrupt release.

Shigure rose to his feet and nodded turned toward Michiko, "It's so lovely to meet you. Haru has been surprisingly closed mouthed about you. We didn't even know your name until yesterday when Tohru told us. Tell me, what _were_ you two up to last night?"

Michiko surprised gaze sought Haru's and he shrugged at them, "Nothing like what you perverts are thinking of."

Shigure and Ayame opened their mouths to continue but Hatori stepped in first, "Why don't you two go in the other room with Yuki, Momiji, and Tohru?"

The two teens nodded and retreated. They found Tohru in the kitchen and Michiko immediately stepped in to help with clean up and food prep.

"Hatsuharu-kun, didn't you say you were hoping to speak to Yuki for a moment today?"

He looked at her and nodded slightly.

"Now would be a good time." she said rather pointedly.

"I'll go find him, then."

Just then Kyou came barreling into the room, "Are you ready to fight now? Come on you stupid cow!"

Haru glared at him, "I am not stupid, baka neko! Leave me alone. I need to speak to Yuki." He stomped off and Kyou was left staring at his back.

"Kyou-san, why do you keep calling him a stupid cow? He's one of the smartest people you know." Michiko said.

Kyou looked at her in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? The guy can't find his way anywhere and is barely passing his classes. How can he be one of the smartest people I know?"

"School bores him to death. I would do poorly if I was that bored too. Please don't call him that anymore, it really bothers him."

"It does?" Kyou's grin turned feral, "Hey! Where are you, you dumb cow?" He walked out of the kitchen and tracked Haru to the living room, taunting him the entire way.

Michiko looked at Tohru, "I guess that did more harm than good, didn't it?"

Tohru smiled, "Well, maybe he'll get it out of his system?"

They heard Haru's roar of rage and something breaking. Michiko and Tohru hustled into the living room to see the pair fighting and the adults just standing around watching. She caught a glimpse of Haru's face and saw that he had gone Black. _Oops . . ._ She stepped forward, not wanting to get too close. Just close enough to be able to get his attention.

"Hatsuharu-kun?" she called. He totally ignored her.

She tried again, a bit louder, "Hatsuharu-kun?" Nothing.

"Don't worry Blossom; they'll stop when they wear themselves out." Ayame said cheerfully.

"It's my fault they're fighting so it's my responsibility to stop them." she replied. Haru was now sitting on Kyou and punching him repeatedly. _Time to step it up a notch._ She walked over to him and tapped his shoulder before stepping back quickly. His head snapped around. "Hey handsome." she purred. "Wanna play?"

He abandoned Kyou in a heartbeat and followed her across the house and out onto the porch. Yuki, Momiji, Tohru, and Kyou watched in astonishment for a moment until Tohru turned to Kyou to help him up before running back to the kitchen. Hatori watched the whole thing with a raised brow and Ayame and Shigure followed the pair outside.

"Did she just distract Black Haru?" Momiji asked in surprise. "That's awfully brave of her."

"Somehow, I don't think she's worried." Yuki responded, still staring at the door they had exited.

"Dinner's ready." Tohru said as she started bringing dishes out to the table.

Michiko allowed him to back her against the wall and smiled teasingly at him. "Did you have a nice fight?"

He shrugged, "It was okay, but I bet you're more fun."

"See? I told you, Shigure darling. They have been naughty children!" Ayame said none too quietly. Shigure had gotten out his camera and was poised to take a picture.

Haru turned his face towards them, "Leave. Now. Or you'll be on the floor next to Kyou."

The pair beat a hasty retreat and the teen turned his attention back to his girl. He held her in place and kissed her hungrily. Just as he was about to draw away for air they were doused in cold water. The pair spluttered and turned towards the source.

Hatori was standing a few feet away with the hose. "Dinner is ready." he said as he turned it off and went back inside.

Haru looked around and his eyes zeroed in on Michiko and the fact that he was holding her against the wall. He released her arms and frowned at her. "What just happened?"

"I figured out how to stop fights between you and Kyou." she replied breezily.

"How?"

She reached up and demonstrated.

"Do I need to get the hose back out?" Hatori asked through the window.

They hastily pulled apart and walked into the house, dripping wet. Tohru hustled Michiko upstairs for some clothes and Haru went into Yuki's room to change. Five minutes later everyone was sitting down to eat.

"Tohru-san, this is fantastic. May I please have the recipe?" Michiko asked.

Tohru gave her a wide smile, "Of course. I'm so glad you like it."

"Michiko-san, what does a beautiful flower like you do to support yourself?" Shigure asked.

"I'm in research. It's not very interesting unless you're in the field."

"How did you get into that?" Hatori asked.

She shrugged, "I used to help one of my instructors and she recommended me to the company she consulted with."

"And how long have you worked there?"

"It's the only regular job I've had. What about you, Sohma-sensei? How did you end up being a doctor?"

"I wanted to help my family."

She smiled, "That's a very good reason."

"You are very young to be on your own." Hatori observed.

"I am." she responded quietly, "but all of the official paperwork has been filed with the appropriate authorities so there's no need to worry."

"May I ask why?" he pressed.

She hesitated, "My parents and I didn't see eye to eye on very many things. It was better for everyone that I moved out early."

Hatori studied her closely for a long moment before nodding and turning the conversation onto other things. When dinner was done they all retired to various rooms to hang out and talk. The three older men were seated in the living room while the children were all at the dining room table talking about school, work, and whatever else came to mind.

Michiko enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the Sohmas better and Haru enjoyed the time spent with his girl and watching her interact with his family. She seemed a bit baffled by Momiji's perpetual cheerfulness and enthusiasm, but that didn't stop her from getting into a heated debate about the best note taking methods.

Haru honestly hadn't ever thought note-taking involved any methodology at all and was surprised two people could discuss it at such great length. Yuki offered his opinion now and then but Tohru and Kyou stayed out of it like he did. Finally each had to concede that the other had valid points and Momiji said he would try some of her tricks in class that week and see how they worked.

Finally, Hatori came in and said it was time for everyone to get home. Haru glanced up at him and asked, "Is it okay if we take Michiko home? She shouldn't be walking after dark."

Hatori nodded and the three visiting teens piled into the car after a quick round of good-byes and thanks. The older man drove sedately across town and pulled to a stop in front of Michiko's building a few minutes later.

"I'll be right back." Haru said before getting out of the car to walk her to her door.

"I had a nice time today." Michiko murmured as he cupped her cheeks.

"I did as well." he replied softly before claiming her lips in a gentle kiss. He pulled away a few moments later and flashed her a smile. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." she replied before letting herself in.

Haru walked back downstairs and got into the car. Hatori glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Do we need to have a discussion?"

Haru frowned at him, "About what?"

"Relationships." he supplied evenly.

Haru blinked at him, "Um, no. That's okay Hatori."

The older man studied him for a moment before nodding and pulling away from the curb.


	5. Helping Tohru

Notes: I still only own Mi-chan. Oh, and Kishi-sama, can't forget her. :)

Thanks for reading!

Tali

Chapter 5 – Helping Tohru

Hatsuharu huffed irritably as he looked around and realized he honestly didn't have any idea where he was. He absently reached up to tug his favorite necklace while he considered which way he should go. Not that it mattered. For all he knew he wasn't even in the same town as when he left. He heard a car backfire on the next street over and decided he may as well go that way as any. He stared at his feet as he walked and let his mind wander.

He started when a warm hand reached out and twined with his. He looked down to see Michiko smiling up at him. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Taking a walk with a handsome guy I know." she replied cheekily as she steered him to the left.

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"Back into the main part of town. You have that baffled look about you so I thought I'd help you find your way back to civilization again." she offered.

He huffed in irritation. "I'm not an idiot."

"I know."

"Then why are you acting like I am?"

"I'm not. I saw you walking and you were staring at your shoes. Since you're in the warehouse district I could only imagine you had spent so much time studying those monstrous boots of yours that you took a wrong turn while following your feet." she supplied easily, knowing he wasn't upset with her so much as the situation.

"What are you doing in the warehouse district? You could get hurt wandering down here alone."

"So could you." she responded as a group of voices called a greeting to them. They sounded less than sober to her well-trained ear. "Crap."

Haru looked around then smiled, "Don't worry. I know these Yankees."

She looked up at him in surprise. "You know these people?"

He shrugged, "Sure. I had to learn lock picking from someone."

As they got closer her eyes widened. They looked American to her.

"Hey, Haru. Who's this you brought down to see us?" a heavily muscled red-head asked.

"This is Mi. Mi, this is Joey. How you guys doing?" he asked happily as he shook hands with all his friends.

"Good, good. How's the hip?" a bald man with an extremely shiny head asked.

Haru colored slightly. "It's fine, Nate." He wrapped his arm around Michiko's shoulders as they fell into step with the gang.

"She the kitten?" a rowdy looking man with slicked back black hair asked. A strangled sound was Haru's only response. Michiko looked curiously from him to the other man.

"Steve." he said with a firm shake of her hand. "I'll leave it to him to explain, Kitten."

She looked back at Haru, "So they know both sides of you?"

"Sure we do." Joey said. "It's a funny story. Ya see, we met last year and spent some time getting to know him. Teaching him some useful skills to get by, you know? Then one night, not too long ago, we ran into this guy when he was drunk as they come and just looking for a fight. Guess someone back home really pissed him off, ya know? Anyways, after tussling with all of us for a bit – gotta give this guy credit, even piss drunk he's got stamina, lucky you by the way – anyway, we got to talking about women and he told us about this beautiful kitten he had back at home. She was just the most amazing thing and he wished he could have her with him all the time. So me and the boys suggested-" was as far as he got before Haru had his mouth covered tightly and started dragging him away.

"Never mind. It's not important." Haru said hurriedly to Michiko before murmuring to Joey, "She doesn't know."

Joey's eyes got wide, "But I thought you-"

"Not yet." Haru said before releasing him with a chagrined expression.

"We'll say no more." Joey replied before giving the rest of the laughing men a look that told them to keep it to themselves. That made them laugh all the harder while Michiko just stood there looking perplexed.

Steve stepped over and took her arm, "Have a drink with us. Maybe some dinner."

Haru glanced at Michiko who shrugged and smiled. "All right. Where to?"

They settled on a dive not too far away and Michiko was reintroduced to the underbelly of Tokyo. Haru leaned close to whisper, "Are you all right? They won't hurt you."

She grinned at him, "I know. I like them."

"Mi? Is that you?" a gruff voice asked. It belonged to a blond man in his mid to late twenties, who was staring at her like he was seeing a ghost.

She looked up in confusion before a smile bloomed over her face. "Kai? Is that you?" She hurried out of her seat and reached out to hug him. His shock was evident to everyone but her, since she still had her face buried in his chest. "How have you been?" she demanded as she pulled away.

He pulled his expression together before she could see his surprise. "Just fine, young lady. You seem to be doing well." he responded. "Are you still off the streets?"

She nodded, "Yes. I'm still working for the same company. New boss, but same job."

"Wonderful. I was hoping that was the case since I hadn't seen you around."

Haru watched them in confusion. His girl had lived on the streets? When? Why? For how long? Who was this guy to her?

She took Kai's hand and led him over to the end of the table Haru was sitting at. "This is Haru. My friend." She blushed prettily, "Well, more than my friend, really."

Kai held a hand out in pleasure, "It's nice to meet you, Haru. I'm glad she's finally making friends."

Haru shook the man's hand and frowned, "You two aren't friends?"

Kai glanced at Michiko, "We met at a time when making friends wasn't her strong suit."

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime." he murmured.

"She will when she's ready." Kai replied as he pulled a seat to the table. Everyone appeared to know him already, and they all sat around talking and drinking until it was past Haru's curfew yet again. He spent much of the evening wondering about Michiko's past and what Kai had meant when he said making friends hadn't been her strong suit.

When he stopped outside her door that night he clasped her hands as he asked, "Will you tell me about your past soon?"

She glanced away before looking up into his eyes, "Soon. I'm not quite ready yet."

He gave her a soft smile before brushing a kiss across her cheek, "I'll be here when you're ready."

He made sure she was safely inside with the door locked before he headed for home. He glanced down as his cell phone rang. Hatori was looking for him again.

----------

Kishi stopped by Michiko's cubicle. "Go home, Michiko-chan."

Michiko glanced at her watch and saw it was almost eleven. _That's enough work for one night, time to pack up and get out of here._ "I didn't realize it was so late. Let me clean up. You should head home too Kishi-sama."

"I will. I was going to shoo you out the door hours ago but I got distracted by my own project." Kishi replied.

"I'll be gone in less than five minutes." Michiko said as she started clearing her desk.

"Be sure that you are. I'm heading out then. See you tomorrow." Kishi smiled before leaning back and closing the door.

Michiko finished clearing her desk and neatly stacked the books she had been looking through. She hated coming into work to a messy desk. She gave a last look around and decided to apparate a little further from home tonight to give herself a chance to stretch her legs and clear her head. She had been stuck inside for more than fifteen hours that day and a walk was just what she needed to relax. She concentrated and a moment later stepped out an alley several blocks from her apartment building.

She started walking at an easy pace and glanced up to see the stars then around to make sure no one was nearby. The streets were fairly safe but every now and again some idiot would get to thinking they were tough and want to cause trouble. Michiko continued walking for several minutes before the sound of taunting voices carried to her ears. She was prepared to ignore them until she heard what sounded like Tohru's voice. _Better check on that_.

Walking cautiously, she neared the voices until she could see who they were talking to. Three boys had Tohru surrounded and were trying to get her to go somewhere with them. From the way they were closing in, Michiko doubted they were willing to take no for an answer.

She walked over to the other girl, "Tohru-san, I've been looking all over for you."

The group looked over at the sound of her voice. Tohru looked a little flustered but the boys just sneered. They had bottles wrapped in paper bags in their hands. _Great, probably just drunk enough to be stupid. _

"She was just saying that she wants to spend some time with us tonight. Maybe you'd like to come too?" said the tallest one.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but we have plans we're already late for." Michiko said politely.

The boys laughed before the leader spoke again, "We insist."

"No. Now please go on about your business and we'll do the same."

They circled closer and Michiko sighed. "Tohru, please hold still." She knew how clumsy the other girl could be and did not want to accidentally harm her.

She shifted into position and gave the boys a predatory smile, "Last chance to walk away."

They laughed again, "What do you think you're going to do against the three of us?"

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Li." he responded.

"Very well, Li, come here and find out." she invited, looking forward to good fight.

The boys accepted the invitation and were shortly laid out flat on their backs, out cold for the next little while. Michiko sighed, "That was pathetic. They should know better than to drink and fight."

Tohru was still staring around in surprise. "You really know how to fight, don't you Michiko-san?"

She smiled over at the other girl, "A girl on her own needs to know how to take care of herself. I can teach you how to defend yourself if you would like. Kyou and Yuki would also be willing I imagine. Come on, I'll walk you home."

The two girls started walking and Michiko kept a close eye on their surroundings. "Tohru-san, was that the first time those boys had bothered you?"

"No. They've been talking to me after work for a week now."

"Talking to you?" Michiko replied, disbelief coloring her voice.

"Like they were tonight. Asking me to go out with them and things like that." Tohru replied.

Michiko stared at the girl. "You are totally clueless to what they were after, aren't you?"

Tohru shrugged, "My company. It's very nice of them, but it's late and I'm always too tired when they ask."

_Clueless doesn't even begin to describe it._ "Would you do me a huge favor, Tohru-san?"

"Of course, Michiko-san." she replied cheerfully.

"Please do not speak to strangers after the sun's gone down and go for help if any try to speak to you."

"I don't want to put anyone out." she replied.

"You're not. Please, Tohru-san?" Michiko said pleadingly. "I only want what's best for you."

"Well, okay. I really don't think-" she began.

"Please?"

"Okay."

They walked along and talked about school and friends and before she knew it they were walking up to Shigure's house. Michiko noted Kyou was on the roof and decided to have a word before she left.

"See you later, Tohru-san. Take care, okay?"

"You too, Michiko-san." Tohru smiled and waved before she closed the door behind her.

Michiko walked around the house until she spotted a ladder and climbed up. She walked over to where Kyou was sitting and gingerly took a seat. He had been looking at the stars but turned to stare at her when she invaded his territory.

"What do you want?" he asked irritably.

"I need your help." she told him.

"With what?"

"Please don't tell her I said anything, but I'm worried about Tohru." she began.

"What do you mean worried? What's wrong with her?" he made to leap down but Michiko grabbed his wrist and restrained him. He narrowed his crimson eyes but sat back down and glared at her.

"Some boys have been bothering her after work. From what she said it's been going on for a week or so. I kicked their butts, but they might try again since they know she usually walks home alone. It was only by chance that I was even walking by in the first place. Can the three of us work something out so that she doesn't walk home alone any more? I'm very worried about her." Michiko explained. "She doesn't really understand what they're after and I don't want her to find out the hard way."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"They keep trying to get her to go off with them _alone_ _and late at night_."

Kyou's eyes widened as he realized some possible implications of that and he leapt off the roof before Michiko could do anything to stop him. She listened to him slam into the house and start yelling at Tohru that she needed to be more careful. Michiko sighed and climbed down the ladder. _Why doesn't talking with him ever get the results I expect?_ She walked into the house in time to see Shigure and Yuki ask what he was yelling about. Kyou continued yelling while she went over to them and quickly explained.

"Why didn't you tell us they were bothering you?" Kyou yelled at Tohru.

"I-it wasn't so bad. They just wanted to talk to me is all." she stuttered.

"Are you crazy? That's it. We're walking you home every night from now on."

"I'm sorry, Kyou-kun. I don't want to put anyone out of their way. I'm fine, really." she replied tearfully.

"Don't leave the building unless one of us is there waiting for you, got it?" he growled at her.

"Miss Honda," Yuki broke in, "It's no trouble for us to walk you home from work. We've been worried about you walking alone so late at night and now we won't have to because we'll be there with you."

"Are you sure?" she asked timidly.

Kyou opened his mouth and Yuki shut him up with a look, "We're sure. I was going to ask you if you minded the company on the way home when you got back tonight anyway." he lied smoothly.

"But, Yuki-kun, you already walk me home a couple nights a week. I couldn't ask you to do more than that." she tried to argue.

"Nonsense, Miss Honda. We enjoy walking with you and would like to do it every night."

Michiko watched Kyou keep shooting Tohru worried looks and Tohru giving them apologetic glances. "Tohru-chan, why don't you go up and get some rest? Tomorrow is a school day and you need your sleep."

Tohru glanced between the males before smiling at Michiko and nodding. "Good night everyone." She left the room and the others turned towards Michiko.

"Thank you for keeping an eye out for her." Yuki said quietly.

"It's my pleasure. I don't know how well it would work, but maybe the pair of you could teach her a little self defense?"

"We can try . . ." Kyou responded doubtfully.

"We'll keep an eye on her, don't worry." Yuki assured her.

"Let me know if you need any help. My hours are flexible and it's a short trip home if you need me." She glanced at her watch and saw it was after midnight. "I better get home. I need to work tomorrow."

"I'll walk you." Kyou told her.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. You need your rest as well."

"We don't need another girl wandering around alone in the middle of the night. I'm walking you." he argued.

"I'll walk with you as well." Yuki stated.

Michiko looked ready to argue but saw the stubborn look on their faces, "Very well. Thank you both for keeping an eye on me."

"Haru would be upset if something happened to you that we could have prevented." Yuki said.

"Let's go." Kyou said and led them out the door.

Michiko looked thoughtfully at the two teens walking with her. "Yuki-san, you are very close to Haru, aren't you?"

He smiled at her, "Yes. We've been close friends since we were young."

"And does his Black side bother you?" she asked curiously.

"Sometimes, Sato-san. It's part of him. He is often difficult to deal with, but I've learned how to handle him."

Kyou snorted. "Yeah. Let him hold onto your shirt and he's fine."

"That's enough, Kyou." Yuki replied evenly.

"Come on, Yuki. The reason you don't have any trouble with him is because he's in love with you."

Michiko looked between the pair with eyebrows raised, "In love with you?" she ask curiously.

Yuki blushed, "It's not like that. Kyou's just causing trouble."

"He always says Yuki was his first love. Whenever he's around him, he's always grabbing his shirt and talking about how much he loves him."

"I haven't noticed anything like that when I've seen them together." Michiko said.

Yuki tilted his head thoughtfully. "You're right. He has barely done it at all for the last couple months."

Kyou laughed, "You've been replaced! Has it broken your heart, kuso nezumi?"

Yuki gave him a dirty look, "Shut up, baka neko."

"Kyou-san, when are you going to spar with me?" Michiko asked, changing the subject.

He scratched the back of his head, "Tomorrow after class?"

"Great! I can't wait." she replied cheerfully.

"Would you mind terribly if I watched, Sato-san?" Yuki asked.

Michiko shrugged. "I don't mind. Kyou-san?"

"Whatever."

She looked up and saw her building, "This is me. Thank you for making sure I made it safely."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Kyou said.

"You're welcome, Sato-san. I'm looking forward to seeing you spar tomorrow."

"You can spar too." She invited before turning and heading up the stairs. She saw a note stuck to her door and pulled it down curiously.

_M,_

_I was thinking of you and decided to stop by. I hope they aren't working you too hard. Are we still on for tomorrow? I plugged in my phone before I left so you can send me a message if you don't get this until late._

_Yours, _

_H_

Michiko smiled at the note and pulled out her phone as she walked through the door. She flicked her wand and lit some of the lamps. She fiddled with the phone for a minute before remembering where the message menu was, then sent him an update on the change in plans and asked him if it was all right.

----------

A sign caught her eye as she was walking down the sidewalk and Michiko decided to wander in and check it out. She checked her watch and saw she had a few minutes to spare. She stepped into the shop and saw a man with very long silver white hair and bright green eyes critically inspecting an array of fabric swatches. She smiled as she recognized Ayame.

He stood as he heard the bell over the door and smiled brightly at her. "Blossom?" he asked enthusiastically. "You naughty girl, are you looking for something to make poor Haru your slave forever?"

Michiko shrugged, "Hello Ayame-san. I was just walking by and saw your sign." She glanced around curiously, "Is this a handicraft store?"

"We make men's fantasies come true here. Would you like to see our catalog? Perhaps you have something in mind for Haru already?" he asked happily.

"Oh, I don't know. We've only been dating for a few months." was as far as she got before he cut her off.

"Mine! My cousin's kitten is here and she needs something to make him hers forever." he called.

A woman in the most elaborate maid's outfit Michiko had ever seen came bustling out of the back and made a beeline for her.

"She is just lovely! He calls her kitten? I know the perfect thing for her." Mine grabbed Michiko's hand and dragged her into the back to start taking measurements.

Michiko was too surprised to argue and soon Mine had her quietly following her instructions. She just stood and did as she was told for about half an hour as her measurements were taken and different fabric swatches were brought over and compared to her skin tone. Finally the crazy woman in maid's clothing smiled and announced she had everything she needed and she could pay Ayame half on the way out and it would be ready in a few weeks.

She nodded mutely and handed over her bank card without even hearing the amount he was charging to it. Once the receipt was signed he ushered her out the door.

"See you later, Blossom."

"Bye, Ayame-san." she replied as she shook of her surprise and started walking towards the dojo. She had enough time to walk there and she could tell she needed it. She had never been so politely steamrollered before. She didn't know what they were making, but from the looks of Mine's outfit it was bound to be interesting. _Maybe Haru would like to see it sometime . . ._

She was walking past the middle school and glanced over curiously as she heard a chorus of jeers. There was a crowd of students standing around a little girl with hair the same yellow gold of a tiger's coat. There was one boy standing outside the circle watching with an odd expression on his face. She looked back at the girl and could see tears in her eyes and changed direction. Once she was nearby she made a couple minor adjustments to her appearance.

"Get away from her, you little brats." she growled fiercely.

The children looked over and saw a woman with glowing eyes and a dark glare and decided to play elsewhere. She noted the boy stopped several feet away and watched them closely. She looked him in the eye and gave him her darkest glare. He moved back a step before holding his ground. Michiko shook her hair to hide her face before changing her appearance back to normal and approaching the little girl who was still looking down and blinking back tears.

She knelt beside her and reached out to raise her chin. "Are you all right?" she asked gently as she looked into brown eyes that reinforced her impression of a tiger.

The girl looked up with her eyes swimming in tears but didn't say anything.

"I'm Michiko. What's your name?" she asked.

Still no answer from the girl. Michiko smiled at her, "Not a big talker, huh? That's all right. If it's all right with you, I'll just call you Kat until you want to tell me your name. Why don't we sit over here until you're feeling better?" She took the girl's hand and led her over to a nearby bench. She sat next to her and kept an eye on the lone boy that hadn't left. She glanced over at the girl, "Do you know him?"

Kat looked over at the straggler in surprise before looking back at Michiko.

"That looks like a yes so I won't scare him further away." she replied. They sat together quietly for a time before a kindly older woman walked over to them.

"It's time for you to come back to class. Who is your friend, dear?" she asked.

Michiko stood up and bowed. "Sato Michiko. I was just keeping Kat here company until she felt better." She turned towards the girl and smiled at her, "I'll see you later, sweetie."

Kat gave her a small smile before following her teacher back to class. Michiko saw the boy was still standing in the same place and raised a brow at him. He glared back before turning to follow the teacher back to class. Michiko watched them enter the classroom then headed for the dojo and her sparring dates.

----------

Kyou looked up as Michiko entered the back room. He, Haru, and Yuki were already stretching.

"Hi guys. Sorry I'm late. The boss had a new project for me and I had to gather the materials to bring home for the weekend, then I stopped at your cousin's shop."

Haru gave her a narrow look, "You're working all weekend again?"

"Not all weekend." she replied as she fell in with the stretching. "And she said I could work from home next week."

"What do you do, Sato-san?" Yuki asked.

"I'm in research. Ancient cultures were so creative. I'm actually going to get to put some of my ancient language schooling to work for a change."

"You speak other languages?" Haru asked with interest.

"More read than speak but yes. I'm very familiar with a few ancient languages, and have a passing knowledge of several more."

"Which ones do you use the most?" Yuki asked.

"Latin is the most common, but I also use a lot of Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, and even Atlantian now and then. I have to keep my books handy for anything but Latin and Sumerian, but I'm getting better." That statement was greeted with raised eyebrows from Yuki, a snort from Kyou, and a speculative look from Haru.

"Do any of you practice with weapons?" Michiko asked brightly. Haru and Yuki shook their heads immediately while Kyou nodded slightly. "Which one?"

"Short swords."

"Two?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Want to use them next week?" she demanded.

Haru and Yuki looked appalled but Kyou looked interested. "Against what?"

"My guan dao."

"Your what?" Haru asked while Kyou and Yuki goggled at her.

She grinned slyly, "Problem?"

"Where did you learn to use that and why?" the neko asked.

"My grandfather told me I was too small to learn so I had to prove him wrong."

Haru chuckled at her contrariness. "Are you any good?"

She quirked a brow at him, "I do all right. I haven't practiced since I finished school. It was part of the physical fitness program. We were all required to learn at least one weapon to help train us in discipline."

The three considered her for a long moment before they went back to stretching quietly. Once they were done they started doing katas together with Kyou leading. When they were loosened up Haru and Yuki stepped back and left Michiko and Kyou on the mat together.

"Ready?" she asked, bouncing a bit.

"Yeah." Kyou said a little uncertainly. They started circling and Michiko moved forward to attack when it looked like Kyou wasn't going to be able to bring himself to do so. He defended himself but did not make a move to strike her.

"Kyou-san, what's wrong?" Michiko asked.

"I can't hit a girl." he growled.

"You won't hurt me if you do land a hit." she cajoled.

"What are you tryin' to say?" he asked defensively.

"You can take it anyway you want if it'll get you to take a swing at me." she said mischievously.

He growled again and took a careful swing at her.

She frowned at him, "I know you can do better than that."

"I don't hit girls." he said.

Michiko studied him thoughtfully for a moment then smiled, "Maybe that's why you can't beat Yuki. You spend so much time calling him a girl that it's getting to you subconsciously."

He glared but made no response while Yuki rolled his eyes and Haru chuckled lightly.

She shrugged. "Fine. I'll just kick your ass and then you'll know I'm better than you. All that time training and you're going to get beat by a tiny . . . little . . . girl!" she said, appealing to his competitive streak. She suited actions to words and after knocking him down a couple of times and a few more well placed taunts he finally narrowed his eyes at her.

"Fine! You think you're a better fighter than me? I'll beat you!" he cried and _finally _started sparring properly.

Haru and Yuki looked at each other smilingly before settling down to chat while they watched the two spar to their heart's content. Kyou was stronger and faster than Michiko but she was small and agile. The pair moved as gracefully and surely as cats. From Kyou this was expected, from Michiko it was an interesting surprise.

"I can see why you spar with her so often. She's very good." Yuki observed.

"Yeah. I was surprised the first time we sparred. She was nicer to me, but I think that's because I wasn't afraid to hit her, I was just careful until I knew what she could take." Haru replied.

"I think Kyou's finally found someone that likes to fight as much as he does."

"Yeah. She really enjoys sparring. I think it's because she's stuck inside at a desk all day and this is the only thing that keeps her blood pumping. At least now, I won't be the only one that spars with her. She was starting to wear me out." Haru said ruefully.

"Can't keep up with her?"

"I enjoy sparring, but I think she would happily do it every day if she had someone to do it with."

"Well, between the three of us, we can probably keep her entertained. I get tired of fighting with Kyou and it would be nice to have someone new to spar with." Yuki replied.

The pair lapsed into silence while they watched Michiko and Kyou, who were still hurling insults at each other while they fought. They didn't appear to be getting tired either. The two on the floor watched for a while before deciding to go into the adjoining room to spar with each other. They knew they would not be missed.

An hour later they came back and Kyou and Michiko were _still_ sparring and insulting each other. The only difference was that it was more good natured now.

"Are you two almost done?" Haru asked.

Michiko looked over and Kyou's punch landed on her right cheek, hard. She stumbled before righting herself and giving a little shake to clear her head. Haru looked over at Kyou and saw he was looking at her in horror.

"It's fine Kyou-kun. I won't even have a bruise tomorrow, I promise."

Haru walked over and inspected her face. It was red and already looked a little puffy. He knew it was going to hurt later. "You probably will, Michiko-chan. It's already starting to swell."

"I'll get an ice pack for you." Kyou said quietly, with a nervous look in his direction.

_I'm not going to pound you because of an accident._ Haru thought before Michiko turned to him in disappointment, "Now I'm gonna have to start all over getting him to spar with me. Dammit! I was having so much fun, too."

Kyou came back and wordlessly handed her the ice pack. Haru watched as she wrapped her hand around his wrist before he could get away. "I'm fine, Kyou-kun. It doesn't even hurt and there _won't_ be a bruise there tomorrow. We can still spar again, right?"

He stared at her, "I punched you in the face. I'm surprised Haru hasn't done anything about it."

"Hey, I know my girl can kick you ass if she thinks you deserve it." Haru defended, pleased that Michiko and Kyou were on such good terms. Kyou needed a friend and it was difficult to find someone that would look past his prickly exterior. Heaven knew he couldn't do it for more than five minutes at a time.

"Kyou-kun, when I asked you to spar, I knew how good you were and accepted that I would probably take a few hits. That's part of sparring, and I'm _fine._" Michiko argued.

"I'm hungry. Do you guys want to grab some dinner with us?" He asked as he pulled the ice pack away from Michiko's face to check on her cheek. Her back was to Kyou so he didn't see it, but he saw a bruise was already starting to form.

"I could eat." Kyou said.

"That would be nice." Yuki replied.

"I need to make a quick stop. I'll be right back." Michiko said before heading to the ladies restroom.

She returned a few moments later with the ice pack still on her cheek and asked brightly, "Ready?"

"Let's go." Haru said and grabbed her hand.

They wandered around a bit trying to decide what they wanted so Michiko was able to leave the ice pack on for a while. They finally decided on his favorite noodle restaurant and placed their orders before finding a table.

"Let me see how it's doing." he asked.

She lifted the ice pack away from her face and the three boys studied her cheek in surprise. It was red but there was no sign of a bruise and the swelling was almost gone.

"What?" she asked.

"No bruise and the swelling is almost gone." Yuki told her. He turned to Kyou, "You must not have hit her as hard as you thought."

Kyou was still staring at her. "How is that possible?"

He reached across the table and turned her head this way and that with calloused fingers while the other two watched curiously. She allowed it and took a moment to wonder why his fingers were so callused. She and Haru had calluses but they were nothing compared to Kyou's.

She smiled at him, "I told you it wouldn't hurt me if you hit me. Now that you've seen it, can we spar again?"

Haru shook his head at her, "Is that all you ever think about?"

"No. I just really like it and I've never had so many skilled people to play with."

"Play?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah. It's fun and it's a game to see who can win or draw, right?" she replied.

"If you say so." he replied, clearly baffled by the girl. The waitress brought over their food and Kyou and Michiko dug in hungrily while the other two ate at a more sedate pace.

"Hungry?" Haru teased her.

"Hey! I just sparred for over an hour. I've earned it." she returned to her food.

"Well, she sure told you." Kyou said, laughing a bit.

"So, we can do this often?" she asked.

"That would be fine." Yuki said quietly.

"Yeah." Kyou replied between bites.


	6. Retribution

Notes:

Still only own Michiko and Kishi, but this is a longer chapter for you. :)

Have a great day!

Tali

Chapter 6 - Retribution

Haru, Michiko, Kyou, and Yuki made it a habit to meet at the dojo two or three times per week to spar and have dinner afterwards. Michiko would spar with Haru or Kyou, but Yuki would not spar with her for fear of injuring her accidentally. She didn't understand why he was so adamant about it but she knew she would be able to wear him down eventually. Just because she got hit one time when Haru distracted her didn't mean he would hurt her without question. She enjoyed the time sparring with Kyou and Haru because they were powerful and talented opponents and they helped keep her skills sharp.

Haru enjoyed the time spent with his girl and his closest friend. He was able to chat with Yuki to his heart's content while Kyou and Michiko sparred and threw mostly good-natured insults at each other. He had even come to enjoy the neko's wit, though he was unlikely to admit that any time soon. He also enjoyed the opportunity to watch them fight so he could look for weaknesses to exploit. He made note of the few things he learned about Kyou – mostly that he got sloppy when he got angry and let his guard drop on his left side every so often. Michiko, for her level, had no weaknesses that he could detect. It was very puzzling because she did not fight as if she were at the top level but her defense was perfect in every way. No matter what he or Kyou threw at her she was able to evade it or turn it against them. She didn't deal a lot of damage but could use your moves against you effectively.

Kyou enjoyed sparring with Michiko and did his best to ignore Yuki as much as possible. He and Haru had developed something of a working relationship. They both liked spending time with Michiko so he mostly held his tongue and dealt with the ushi. He was a bit suspicious of his motives for a relationship with Michiko but as long as she was happy and the ushi was treating her right, he had no reason to complain.

Michiko and Haru looked up as they heard footsteps and saw Yuki enter the room.

"Where's Kyou?" she asked curiously. He had missed their last session and hadn't arrived yet for this one.

Yuki shrugged carelessly, "I haven't seen him for a few days, maybe a week. When did you last spar?"

Michiko's eyes narrowed as she demanded, "And you aren't worried in the least bit?"

"No." he replied.

"Why not?"

"It's just Kyou." he replied as Haru winced. He at least knew that was the wrong answer.

"That is just shameful, Yuki-san. I am very disappointed in you." she spat before she swept out of the room. Yuki looked at Haru in confusion.

"She's sort of adopted him. We should probably follow her." he replied as he moved out the door. Haru glanced both ways down the street and realized she was already out of sight. He sighed. "Or not. I wonder where I should wait?" he muttered.

Yuki stepped up next to him, "I'll wait with you. I should apologize for upsetting her."

Haru smiled wryly, "You would be safer apologizing for so completely disregarding his well being."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes. If you apologize for upsetting her, she might just punch you." Haru replied as he led the way back inside the dojo.

----------

Michiko apparated a short distance from the dojo and shook her wand out of the holster to cast a tracking spell on Kyou. She cast an obscuring charm on herself before following the trace. She followed it through the trees for quite some time before she came to a brick wall. She studied it for a moment before climbing over it and finding herself in a small but exclusive looking neighborhood. She scanned around briefly before continuing to follow the trace. There was no one about but she still moved as stealthily as possible.

A few moments later she came to a stop outside of a small house with bamboo across the glassless windowpanes. She peeked inside and saw a nicely furnished apartment shrouded in shadows. Michiko redid the trace spell and it landed in a shadowy corner of the room. There was fitful movement on the floor as the spell sparkled out of existence and she realized Kyou was curled up in the shadows and rocking slowly. She circled to the door and unlocked it before hurrying inside and over to his side.

"Kyou-kun? Are you all right?" she asked gently as she tried to pull him against her chest. He fought her off and moved away with a sound of pained distress. She touched his arm, "Kyou-kun? What's wrong? Please talk to me."

He curled tighter into himself so Michiko sat by his back and very gently ran her hands in soothing patterns through his hair and down his back. Eventually his breathing evened out and she carefully released him before casting a feather light charm and gathering him up. She glanced around the apartment one last time before letting herself out and locking the door behind her. She obscured them both and hurried home. Once there, she turned up the lights and deposited him on the couch.

Her eyes darkened as she saw bruising on his face and arms and she healed it immediately, upset to see such a thing on her friend. She ran a series of diagnostic spells on him and saw he had bruised and cracked ribs, sprained wrist, and there was something wrong with his right ankle. On further inspection she realized tendon had been severed – several days ago from the look of it. Angry now, she removed the bandage that was in place and inspected it. It was very neatly stitched but she didn't like that he had such a serious injury. She dug through her books and found the best spell to heal it. He would have to take it easy for a while but it would be all right much sooner. _What on earth happened? Was he kidnapped? Why didn't they report him missing?_ She huffed when she realized she didn't have any bone strengthener and taped his ribs instead. Once his wrist was spelled she sat back without internal comment, afraid she would explode with the anger simmering just under the surface. She could feel it trying to crawl out but clamped down on it mercilessly.

Michiko carefully brushed his hair away from his face and settled down on the other couch to watch over him until he woke up. She pulled a book from the table and started reading from a random point. She only read a paragraph at a time before her eyes strayed to him again and she wondered what had happened. When he made a soft sound of distress she ran her hand over his head until he quieted. She pondered what could have happened to him and why and the only thing that kept coming to mind was Haru comment about his complicated family and not wanting them to know about her.

A few hours later Kyou stirred and Michiko conjured a glass of milk before his eyes were open. When he sat up she offered it and he drank it down greedily before looking around properly. "How did I get here?" he asked in a much subdued voice, very unlike his usual tone.

"I brought you. Are you all right?"

"Fine. How did you find me?"

"I have my ways. What was that place? Were you kidnapped?"

"No, that's my home."

She blinked. "Oh. Do you want me to walk you back?"

"No, that's fine."

"What happened? Why did you miss sparring and why were you so banged up? How did your ankle get injured?" she asked rapid-fire.

"It's nothing. I told you, I'm fine." he replied as he looked down at his healed ankle in surprise then checked his ribs and wrist. "I feel a lot better. How long have I been here?"

"Not too long. Kyou-kun," she began earnestly, "Please, what happened? Yuki said he hadn't seen you for a few days or a week. You were beat up, unable to walk, and huddled in a corner when I found you."

"I'm fine." he replied repressively as he stood and moved towards the door.

She moved to intercept him and gripped his shoulders firmly. "Kyou-kun, please. I need to know if you are truly all right?" She looked up and gray eyes locked with red in a fierce battle of wills. It lasted far longer than she anticipated but she was determined to win. Several minutes later he finally grimaced and looked away.

"I'm fine. Nothing happened that I didn't expect at some point. Thank you for bringing me here. I should get back to Shigure's house." he replied quietly.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"You're sure you don't want to stay here for the night?"

"I am."

"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow to check on you." she said as she walked him to the door.

He gave her a slight nod before heading out the door. He listened for the click of the locks and headed down the stairs. He spotted a tired looking Haru followed by an equally tired looking Yuki heading up and nodded a greeting.

Haru looked at him in surprise before resting a hand on his arm. "Where have you been, neko?"

"None of your business, ushi."

"Michiko was worried about you. What happened?" Haru probed.

"Akito detained me." he replied shortly.

"Detained? What do you mean detained?" Haru asked while Yuki looked on in stunned surprise.

"I was in the room. Michiko found me and brought me here. I don't know how she did, but I'm glad." he replied as he realized how much better he felt compared to the last several days.

Haru considered this information for a long moment before adding it to the list of puzzling things about his girl. He was going to need some answers soon, but was afraid she would turn the tables and demand a few of her own. It was a tough spot to be in, all things considered. They watched the teen leave in silence before continuing up the stairs. Michiko answered after the first knock and gave Yuki a dirty look as she welcomed them in. The greeting appeared to stick in her throat but she managed to get it out.

Yuki stepped forward, "Sato-san, I'm sorry I wasn't more worried about Kyou. He often disappears for days or weeks at a time and I didn't think anything of it."

She glared at him, "You should always worry when you don't know where one of your family is."

He looked away, properly chastised, "I will ask questions next time."

"Thank you." She turned on Haru but he held his hands up.

"I didn't know he was missing. I don't live there and I don't go to school with him yet." the teen said hurriedly.

"Do you know what might have happened to him?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. Where did you find him?" Haru asked softly, wondering how Kyou had explained where she found him.

She shrugged, "In some fancy neighborhood. He was in a little house with no glass in the windows curled up on the floor and injured."

"What type of injury did he have? He seemed okay going downstairs." Haru replied.

"There was evidence that his ribs had been bruised, his wrist wasn't in very good shape, it looked like he'd gotten quite a beating and the tendon in his right ankle had been injured." she replied slowly, taking care to not lie but not tell the whole truth either. "He also said the place was his home, but I thought he lived at Shigure's house?"

She watched the boys exchange a look that spoke volumes if only you had the code. Sometimes they were just so frustrating.

"He lives at Shigure's now, but technically his home is that little house. How did you get in there anyway?" Yuki asked carefully.

"I climbed the wall. I know you two know something. Tell me."

Haru glanced at Yuki before speaking softly, "Do you remember I told you my family was complicated?"

"Yes."

"This would be one of the complications."

Her chin went up and her eyes narrowed, "I also remember you were very specific to specify they didn't hurt _you_ when I asked. I suppose I should rephrase. Do they hurt anyone under the legal limit of adulthood?"

The boys exchanged a look that was easier to read. Guilty and cornered. Yuki finally spoke, "Sato-san, our family business is private."

Her anger became a palpable thing, "Not where it concerns Kyou." Her gaze shifted to Haru, "Or you, should the situation change." Back to Yuki, "Or any child that is unable to defend themselves. _I will not stand for it._"

Haru studied her closely. He had a bad feeling that there was more to this than her moral compass. He reached out to touch her hand, "We try to keep the little ones away from the worst of it, but there's really nothing you can do. Our family is well connected and wealthy. Please leave it alone. I really don't want you involved."

Her lips compressed to a thin line, "I will take action if I find another of you in the same condition as Kyou was tonight."

"He didn't look too bad when we saw him." Yuki argued.

"It's not like he's going to allow you to see his weakness." she snapped. She saw the confusion on their faces. "He doesn't deserve to be someone's plaything." she said tightly.

Haru sighed, "No, he doesn't. We'll keep a closer eye on him from now on. He's a common target."

Her jaw clenched but she nodded slowly. "All right. Thank you."

He smiled a little, "You're welcome." He stepped closer to lean his forehead against hers, "Are we okay?"

She sighed, "Of course we are. You are allowed to have different opinions and we can agree to disagree."

He brushed a kiss across her lips before squeezing her hands. "See you tomorrow?"

"Maybe. I might have to work late again."

He nodded, "Later then." One more kiss and both boys headed out the door and into the night.

----------

Kyou walked home slowly. He didn't want to stress his ankle too much but he really wanted to get back to Shigure's and the quiet of his room. A dark car pulled up alongside him and he froze for a moment before trying to bolt.

"Kyou." came Hatori's voice and he stopped immediately before turning around warily.

"Yeah?"

"You shouldn't be on that ankle. Let me take you to Shigure's so I can make sure you didn't do any damage to it walking around."

He hesitated for a moment more before reluctantly getting into the car. He could always jump for it if it looked like they were heading towards the main house. He rode in silence and let out a quiet sigh of relief when they turned into Shigure's drive. Hatori insisted on helping him up the walkway and Kyou tried to shake him off to no avail. He was still weak from his injuries, though he felt considerably better.

Luckily Shigure was locked in his study and didn't bother them while Hatori looked over Kyou's ankle, wrist, and ribs. Kyou watched the doctor frown deeply at his ankle for several moments while he tried to not think about what Akito had done to it. Not being about to run when he wanted was a horrible experience. He could only be grateful that he had been found when he had. When Hatori's frown only darkened the teen finally asked, "What's wrong with it? It feels better."

"Almost nothing is wrong with it." he replied quietly. "The tissues have healed almost completely. It's very strange, they shouldn't be this far along for a couple weeks yet."

Kyou shrugged it off, "As long as it's okay."

Hatori nodded, "It has healed very well. Make sure you stretch it carefully everyday and take it easy for another week or two but it should be healed completely very soon. Remove your shirt so I can check on your ribs."

Kyou grudgingly pulled his shirt off and glanced down when Hatori's eyebrows moved up slightly. All of his bruises were completely gone. Well, that would explain why he felt so much better. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he shrugged it off while Hatori checked his ribs.

"They are not as recovered as your ankle so take it easy for a while longer. Your wrist has also healed but I would like you to refrain from fighting with your cousins for at least a week so your body has time to heal properly."

"Okay." he muttered. "Are we done here?"

"For now. I'll be back to see you in a week." he said. "No fighting before then."

Kyou nodded irritably before grabbing his shirt and pulling it on as he headed up the stairs and to the quiet of his room. Once there he curled up in a tight ball on his bed and tried to pretend the last week hadn't happened.

----------

A couple weeks later Michiko was taking a walk after a long and difficult day at work. She was paying more attention to the stars than her surroundings and when she walked into someone it took her completely off guard. She looked up to see the face of one of the guys that had been hassling Tohru. _Fantastic. I just wanted a nice quiet walk home to clear my mind.. What was his name again? Oh, Li._

"Can I help you, Li?" she asked sarcastically.

The teen smiled. "Long time, no see."

Michiko took a quick look around and saw there were a lot more of them than last time, maybe ten all together. _Damn. If they come at me a couple at a time I'll be okay, but all at once won't go so well._ She wasn't even sure what time it was or exactly where she was. _Stupid! You should have been paying attention. Now you're paying the price for being careless. And leaving your wand at home because what need could you possibly have for it while out on a walk? Idiotic at best. _She vowed to never do anything this stupid again as long as she lived.

"I would rather not. Why don't you boys run along home?" she replied.

"When we're done." he said cockily before advancing.

Michiko crouched into a ready position and started strategizing. Five of them closed in on her and she started punching and kicking in every direction as fast as she could. She was a skilled fighter but she was only one person at the end of a long day and there were ten of them tag-teaming each other to keep her busy. She took several hard hits and realized she was in trouble.

----------

Kyou and Yuki were walking towards Tohru's building when the sounds of a fight drifted to their ears. Kyou stopped abruptly when he heard what sounded like Michiko's voice before he took off running in the direction of the sounds. Yuki looked at him in surprise before following.

Their eyes widened at the sight before them. A group of ten boys were in the alley with Michiko. About half were sprawled on the ground and slowly making their way towards their feet, but the ones still fighting had surrounded her. She was giving as good as she got but had clearly taken a beating. She was bleeding from several places on her arms and face. As they ran up to the group someone came up behind her and knocked her down. Both teens jumped into the fray without a second thought and within moments all of them were out cold.

Kyou went over to Michiko and picked her up with Yuki's help. "Let's take her over to Tohru's building. Momiji might still be there and we can clean her up before walking them both home."

"Put me down. I can walk just fine." Michiko demanded.

They set her on her feet and let her waver for a few moments before picking her back up and walking towards Tohru's building. "Whatever."

"I don't want Tohru to panic." she said quietly.

"Deal with it." he replied.

"Thank you both for finishing them off. Ten was a bit much for me. Especially at the end of a long day."

"Still think you're not gonna bruise?" Kyou asked.

She sighed. "I can hope. Right now I want about a dozen ice packs and a bottle of aspirin. How long until Haru knows what happened?"

"I'll call him tonight. He'll be angry otherwise and I don't want to fight with him if I can avoid it. If his phone is dead, you'll have until school starts tomorrow." Yuki replied quietly.

"Charming." she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"How did they manage to catch you?" Kyou asked curiously.

She slumped, "I wasn't paying any attention at all to where I was or where I was going. I was looking at the stars and trying to clear my head. By the time I ran into the leader – literally – the others had surrounded me."

"That was stupid." Kyou pointed out.

"Yes, it was. I was lucky you two came along when you did or things would have been much worse."

"Michiko!" came Tohru's and Momiji's voices. They had been standing outside the building waiting for the two boys to pick her up.

"What happened?" Momiji asked.

"I was careless. It's fine. I just need a box of bandages if you have one to spare." Michiko explained softly.

"Come on. I'll take you to the first aid station." Momiji said.

Kyou and Yuki set her carefully on her feet before the group followed Momiji. Yuki went last as he had pulled out his phone and called the police to report the incident. He spoke with them for several minutes before hanging up and walking over to the group. Tohru was cleaning the cuts on Michiko's face and Momiji was working on the ones on her arms. Michiko's bloody shirt was in a ragged pile on the floor and she was sitting in her camisole with a towel wrapped around her torso. Kyou was glaring around the room angrily when his glanced landed on Yuki.

"Did you call him yet?" he asked.

Yuki shook his head and pulled out his phone again. He dialed the number but it went straight to voice mail. "It's dead."

"He's gonna be pissed if he doesn't find out until tomorrow." Kyou pointed out.

"Who?" Momiji asked as he looked up from bandaging a deep cut that probably needed stitches.

"Haru." Kyou replied.

"Call his house number and tell him to bring Hatori. A couple of these cuts should have stitches." the blond told them.

Yuki nodded briefly and dialed the house number. It was answered after two rings.

"Haru. Please get Hatori and bring him to the building Tohru works in. Michiko was hurt and needs stitches. We're with her and she's fine, but she should see a doctor . . . . She's fine, don't worry. We're with her and won't leave until you get here . . . See you in a few minutes." He clicked off and looked at the others. "They should be here in about ten minutes if Haru's panic is anything to go by."

"Panic? Didn't you tell him I was fine? I don't need Hatori to come all the way out here. I've had worse and lived through it."

"Sato-san, we would all feel better if Hatori had a look at you." Yuki replied.

She looked at the concerned faces of the others before relenting. "Very well."

They finished bandaging the last of the cuts and Tohru went and got her a blanket to keep her warm. Reaction had finally set in and she was trembling lightly. Tohru and Kyou sat on either side of her while Momiji sat on the floor at her feet and Yuki went out to the front to wait for the other two. They didn't speak much but Tohru rubbed circles on her back to help keep her calm.

Sometime later they all looked up as they hear raised voices in the hallway outside the door.

"Get out of the way, Yuki." came Haru's voice. There were murmurs that must have been Yuki's and Hatori's voices trying to calm him down. "I'll calm down once I've seen her. Now move or I'll move you."

Michiko stood up slowly and walked over to the door before Haru broke it down. She opened it in time to hear Yuki's explanation for stopping him.

"She looks worse than she feels right now. Please calm down or she'll get upset when she sees you."

Haru saw the door open and looked over at her. His eyes got very large before getting very narrow. He brushed Yuki and Hatori out of the way and reached out to touch her cheek gently. "How are you?"

She smiled a little as she leaned into the touch, "I've been better. You?" She was the only one who noticed his eyes were flickering between black and grey, but were mostly black.

"What happened?" he asked quietly as he picked her up carefully and walked her back over to the others.

"I wasn't paying attention when I should have been. I won't make that mistake again."

"Damn right. I'll be walking you home from now on."

"That's not necessary. I won't wander around aimlessly in the middle of the night alone again."

"Rough day?" he asked.

She shrugged, "I thought so at the time."

He sat down with her in his lap and looked at Hatori expectantly.

"You expect me to treat her while she sits on you?" he asked with the lightest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes." Haru answered simply.

Hatori shook his head. "Michiko-san, please sit facing forward so I can get to both of your arms."

He watched her carefully as she shifted slowly on Haru's lap without touching his chest. _Interesting._ He undid the bandages that decorated her arms and narrowed his eyes at the damage before giving Haru a look to silence him.

"Did one of them have a knife?" he asked.

"Yeah. He'd be the one whose head got caught between my boot and the wall, so I'd say we're about even."

"Why didn't you run?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I didn't have an opportunity. By the time I realized what was happening I was surrounded and decided it would be better to stand my ground than exhaust myself trying to get away."

"How many were there?" he asked quietly.

"Ten." replied Kyou.

Hatori didn't let any of his surprise show on his face. He had heard that the girl was on par with Haru and Kyou for sparring but he hadn't appreciated how good she was or that she was so tough. He returned his attention to the various cuts on her arms and several of them needed either stitches or bandages to keep them together to heal.

"I'll be as neat as I can but, but you'll probably end up with a couple of scars."

She quirked a brow at him, "I'll add them to my collection."

"Collection?" he asked with a tinge of concern.

She glanced at the others in the room before returning her gaze to his. "I learned to use guan dao."

"Everybody out." he ordered firmly.

They all knew better than to argue and made their way out the door.

"Haru, you too." he said.

"He's fine. I was going to tell him anyway." she said quietly. "How did you know?"

"You're not as good a liar as you think. Please explain."

"I do know how to use guan dao." she muttered before she sighed and looked him in the eye. "Please be discreet."

"Of course." he replied, insulted.

"Look at my arms, what do you see?"

Hatori's eyes widened slightly as he saw the extent of the damage. Haru couldn't see her arms but saw Hatori's reaction and turned her so he could see. He took in the faint lines of crisscrossing scars and clenched his jaw. _Not now. Stay in control. There's nothing you can do about this now. Control, control, control._ Suddenly he felt her forehead against his and opened eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed.

"Why didn't you show me before?" he whispered.

"There was no reason to show them to you. I was going to tell you eventually, but I don't like thinking about it."

"How many?"

She was a long time in answering. "73."

"Are these from him?" Haru asked, thinking back to the day they met and remembering her saying her and her father had a rocky relationship. Now he understood while she always wore long sleeves.

"Yes."

He sighed before kissing her forehead softly, "Let's get these taken care of."

She nodded and he helped her shift around until she was facing Hatori again.

"Who is he?" Hatori asked quietly as he began sewing tiny stitches on the worst of the cuts.

"My father."

"And this is the reason you're on your own at such a young age."

"Yes."

He gave her a slight smile. "At least you were smart about it."

She shrugged, "I want to do more than survive."

----------

"I'm not going home tonight, Hatori. She shouldn't be alone." Haru argued.

"You can't spend the night alone with her, Haru. It's not appropriate." Hatori replied evenly, vaguely irritated to be having this conversation yet again.

"He won't be alone with her." Kyou interrupted. The two looked over at him.

"The three of us are coming too. Yuki already called Shigure and let him know."

"Very well. Keep an eye on her and call me if there's a problem. Are the police finished with everyone?"

"Yes, Hatori. I just spoke with the officer and gave him all of our contact information in case they think of any additional questions." Yuki replied.

"Thank you for sitting with me while they questioned me, Sohma-sensei." Michiko said to the older man.

He brushed it off. "As your doctor I had to make sure they didn't undo my hard work. Are you sure you're fine to walk home?"

"Yes. And even if I find I'm not, I'm only a few blocks away and these strapping young men should be able to carry me the rest of the way." she said with a small smile.

"Good night then." he said to the group of teens.

A chorus of good nights answered him as he left with Momiji, whose father had agreed to let him stay until Hatori left.

Haru turned to Michiko and linked hands with Yuki to scoop her up. "You're not walking home. Don't bother arguing." he said as they headed out the door with the others right behind him.

She looked into Haru's eyes, "Are you _still_ black?"

Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru looked over in surprise.

"Maybe . . . Probably . . . It's a matter of degree" he replied.

"I'm sorry to have upset you." she offered.

"Yeah, I'm sure you went for a walk tonight hoping to get the shit kicked out of you."

"Haru-san!" Tohru said in surprise.

"He's right. She's being stupid." Kyou added his two cents.

"Don't pay any attention to them, Sato-san. They're just worried about you." Yuki said in a gentle voice.

She huffed, "I know. I keep telling them I'm fine but they won't listen to me."

"It might have something to do with the seventy-four stitches Hatori gave you." he replied softly.

She looked at him in surprise, "How did you know how many?" He flicked a pointed glance at Haru. "Of course. Well it's not like I've never had stitches before."

"Have you ever had more than seventy-four at once?" Tohru asked curiously.

Michiko cringed slightly, "Once." Haru's grip tightened slightly but he said nothing.

"What the hell did you do?" Kyou asked angrily. He couldn't believe she was taking this so casually when she had been so worried about Tohru for nearly the same thing.

"I had a rough childhood." she replied flatly.

Yuki studied her for a moment before quietly asking, "How rough?"

"Rough enough that seventy-four stitches don't bother me." She paused before continuing softly, "And I could have put them in myself had Hatori not been available to do so."

The three Sohmas and Tohru fell silent as they considered that. Surprisingly, it was Yuki that spoke, "I'm sorry."

Michiko looked into his eyes and saw understanding there. She placed her hand on his arm. "Right back at you." she said softly.

"We're here." Kyou said as he tugged open the main door to the building.

"Let me walk up the stairs. It's too narrow to carry me." she said. Michiko dug in her pocket and pulled out her key. "Come in and be welcome." she said quietly.

Haru swung her carefully up in his arms so she was away from his chest and took her into her room. He set her gently on the bed and sat down next to her. "Can you really put in your own stitches?"

"I learned to take care of myself at a young age. I'm a pretty quick healer but still needed more than bandages at times." she replied quietly.

"I hope you realize I'll probably put your father into a hospital if I ever meet him."

She smiled wryly, "Get in line."

He traced a finger curiously down a scar in a space between bandages near her elbow. Michiko pulled away and drew her arms into her sides so he persisted. "Michiko-chan?"

She looked away as she pulled a soft robe over her shoulders and arms and twisted her fingers together, "They're ugly. You shouldn't touch them."

The teen pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You're beautiful. Every inch of you."

She kept her face turned away, "Only to you."

"That's all that matters." he responded as he gently untangled her fingers and brought her hands to his face so he could brush his lips against them. She relaxed a little and finally gave him a shy smile.

"Stay put." he ordered before going back into the living room to fetch Tohru. "Tohru-san, would you please help her change into her pajamas and then make sure she behaves?"

"Of course, Hatsuharu-san." she replied before hurrying out of the room.

Haru glanced at the other two, "I'm going to make tea."

Yuki followed him into the kitchen and watched him pick out the chamomile without even looking. "You spend a lot of time here, don't you?"

Haru glanced back at him, "Yeah. I do."

"How long have you been seeing each other?" he asked curiously.

"About six months, I think."

"So, it's serious then?" Yuki asked as he watched Haru gather cups and put them on a tray.

Haru stilled before looking up at Yuki. "Yes. Why?"

"Have you told him yet?"

His face closed off, "No. And I have no intention of doing so."

Yuki reached out and placed a hand on his arm, "I understand. We won't say anything, but we might have to worry about Hatori."

"I'll worry about it later. For now, I just want to make sure she's okay."

Yuki took the tray from Haru, "Why don't you let her sit in the living room with us then? We can watch a movie together and she'll probably fall asleep before the end."

Haru smiled at him before resting his head on Yuki's shoulder for a moment and letting out a deep breath. "Thanks."

Yuki rested his cheek on Haru's head for a moment before nudging him out of the room, "Go get Michiko. I can hear her talking back to Miss Honda from here."

Haru smiled, "As long as she's complaining she can't be feeling too badly, right?"

Yuki followed him out of the kitchen and placed the tea tray on the coffee table in the living room. "Kyou, would you please find the remotes for the television? We're going to watch a movie until she falls asleep."

Kyou gave him a weird look before turning and hunting for the remotes. He found them sitting on top of the entertainment center a few minutes later. "Who keeps the remote on top of the television?"

"I do, or I'll lose it." came Michiko's annoyed voice as Haru carried her carefully down the hall and settled her on one of the couches. "I said I can walk." she said huffily as he turned to pour her a cup of tea.

"Whatever. What do you want to watch? And it better not be some dumb girly movie either." Kyou said.

"Kyou-kun." Yuki and Tohru chided together.

He glared at both of them before curling up on the other couch.

"Why don't you pick one, Yuki-san?" Michiko asked.

At Haru's and Tohru's nods he turned and looked over the movies on the rack. "I can see Haru's influence in your collection, Sato-san." he said with a chuckle. There were more old black and white American horror movies than any other genre.

"Haru got me started. I had a couple movies but when we started having movie night I started buying the ones I liked." she replied.

He plucked one off the shelf that he knew Haru liked and suspected Tohru would enjoy. "How about this one?"

Enthusiastic nods from Haru and Michiko, indifference from the neko, and a happy smile from Tohru decided the vote. He dropped it into the DVD player while Tohru got Kyou to make room for her on the couch he was curled up on. Yuki took the chair and started the movie.

About half way through the movie he glanced around the quiet room to see Kyou and Tohru were leaning on each other, sound asleep, and Michiko was curled against Haru, who was also asleep. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Looks like we're surrounded by sleeping beauties." she whispered.

Yuki returned the smile, "I believe the idea was that the movie would put _you_ to sleep, Sato-san."

She gave a small shrug. "My mind is too busy berating me for carelessness for me to fall asleep. I've found I have to let her rant until she's done before I even try." Her stomach growled, reminding her that she missed dinner and she glanced ruefully at Haru, "What do you suppose my chances of getting off this couch without waking him are?"

Yuki studied Haru and saw that he was breathing deeply and evenly. Their conversation had not made him so much as twitch. "He's out. You could probably jump on the couch and he wouldn't notice."

"Perfect. I'm starving." she said as she started to gently wiggle her way out of his grasp. It took a couple of minutes but finally she stood up and stretched carefully before heading to the kitchen, "Are you hungry?"

"If it's no trouble." he replied.

"Follow me." She placed a silencing charm on the room before Yuki caught up with her.

He pulled himself out of the surprisingly comfortable chair and followed her into the kitchen where she was already pulling things quietly off the shelves and humming softly. Yuki leaned against the counter where he was out of the way and watched as she quickly put together several sandwiches. She brought the plate over and set it on the counter next to him before carefully taking a seat on the counter and sitting cross-legged next to it. She snagged a sandwich and wolfed it down.

"Hungry?" he teased as he began eating his first sandwich.

"Starving. I haven't eaten since lunch." She grabbed another sandwich and it was gone in moments. She looked over at him and could tell he wanted to ask something but didn't want to pry.

"Yuki, you saved my butt tonight. That makes us friends in my book. Ask anything you want. If you don't need to know the answer I'll let you know with no hard feelings."

He took a moment to organize his thoughts, "How can you be so happy all of the time if you've had such a difficult life?"

She shrugged, "I'm not really sure. When it was at its worst I thought it had torn me in two, but then I got out of the house and it started to get better. Everyday for a long time I had to remind myself that I was free and the only thing holding me back was me. After a while, I was able to relax and enjoy simple things. Cleaning the house or doing my schoolwork without the worry in the back of my mind of him coming after me for some manufactured excuse. It will get better, Yuki-san."

He stared at his sandwich thoughtfully. "I hope so. I saw _him_ a couple weeks ago and suddenly it was just like it had always been. I felt like I had never left. It terrified me, but it also made me angry that he could do that to me."

"Then you're already halfway there."

"What do you mean?"

"If you are angry with him for making you feel less than you are, then you'll be willing to defend yourself when or if the time comes. You like the life you have and if you're angry you'll be more willing to defend it." she replied.

"So, you don't think him being able to terrify me is a sign of backwards progress?" he asked quietly.

"No, I don't. I was utterly petrified when I went to my parents to have the paperwork to make me an adult signed. I hadn't seen them in three years and I was still half convinced as soon as they opened the door he'd try to drag me back into that life. It was the hardest thing I had ever done but I knew if I didn't, I'd never be free. I don't know how I would feel if I was to see him again, but I would like to think I'm finally strong enough to stand up to him."

Yuki looked at her in surprise, "You don't think you're strong?"

"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I think I've gotten stronger since I started seeing Haru. He's helped me remember that what I want is worth fighting for." She reached over and touched his arm, "It's okay to rely on other's strength when your own is flagging, Yuki-san."

"It's not right to rely on others for everything. The only person you can really depend on is yourself." he replied.

"It's true that you need to rely on yourself, but no one can make it through this life alone. We're not made that way. We can survive alone, but to live you need to let others into your life." She moved the now empty plate to her other side and scooted over until she could put an arm around his shoulders and run her hand over his hair. "Thank you."

He automatically tensed at the contact but when she continued to hold on he relaxed fractionally. "For what?"

She rested her cheek on his hair, much as he had done with Haru earlier that evening. "For being my friend. Haru was the first, did you know? I'd never had a friend before and now I'm blessed with so many of them."

He smiled slightly, "We're the ones that are blessed. You and Tohru are more than we deserve."

"Stop beating yourself up for things that were out of your control, Yuki-san. That will keep you chained more surely than placing yourself under his care again. You didn't ask for what happened to you and you are not to blame for it."

He exhaled slowly and relaxed into the half embrace. "It helps to hear that from someone outside the family." he told her quietly.

"Have you told Tohru?" she asked curiously, certain the other girl would agree.

"No. She's so kind and cheerful. I can't bring that kind of darkness into her life."

"Thinking like that does her a great disservice, you know. She's strong enough to listen and help you. Don't underestimate her."

"Thank you." Yuki said a few moments later as he straightened up. "I'm sorry to have burdened you when you're supposed to be recovering."

Michiko watched his usual mask fall into place and reached out to rest a hand on his arm. "Don't be silly, Yuki-san. Helping a friend is never a burden and you don't need to hide behind your mask when you're with me, okay? Just be yourself."

He relented slightly and gave her a small smile. "Are you ready to go to sleep now?"

She cocked a brow at him, "Are you?"

He bowed, "Point taken, Sato-san. Let's both get some sleep."

She led the way out of the kitchen, discreetly cancelling the charm on the way. She went over to the other couch and draped a blanket over Kyou and Tohru, who had curled into each other.

"They've got it bad." she said softly.

Yuki studied the pair in front of him, "They do, even if he won't admit it and she doesn't realize it."

"They will in time." she replied as she pulled a blanket off the back of Yuki's chair and handed it to him. He smiled his thanks and watched as she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch Haru was now sprawled on and nudged him until she could climb on in front of him. She spread the blanket over them and settled down to sleep. Once her breathing evened out as well, Yuki allowed himself to sleep.

----------

"Make sure you text me if you go anywhere and when you get back. I want to know you're all right." Haru said to Michiko as he leaned over to kiss her good-bye.

"I will. I might go to the store today to pick up a few things later, but I haven't decided yet." she responded with a soft smile.

"Make sure you let me know if you do. I want to know where you are." he replied with a final squeeze of her hands before following the others out of her apartment. He made sure the door was locked and then headed down the stairs and towards his destination. Akira was joining the small group in the entrance area at the foot of the stairs and he smiled lightly at her before heading out.

Yuki called him back, "Haru, school is this way."

Haru shook his head, "I'm not going to classes this morning."

The teens stopped to look at him. Kyou finally asked, "Then where are you going?"

"I have to take care of something." he answered evasively.

"What?" Tohru asked curiously. "School is very important, Hatsuharu-san."

"So is this. I'll see you later." he replied before taking off.

Kyou glanced back and forth before tilting his head towards Haru, "I'm going to follow him. See you later." He took off at a jog to keep Haru in his sights.

He watched as Haru wandered his way into the warehouse district and wondered what he could possibly be doing there. Only shady characters hung out in this part of town. Kyou watched as a group of people greeted Haru warmly and crept closer so he could hear what was going on.

"—goes by Li, if I remember correctly. They should be pretty banged up today. Mi said she caught one of their head's between her boot and the wall so his bruising should be pretty distinct. He's the guy with the knife, so don't do him any favors. I didn't have a chance to get a better description from my cousins because she was awake." Haru was explaining.

Kyou yelped when someone caught his collar and dragged him towards the group. He looked up and a huge bald guy was glaring down at him.

"Whatcha got there, Nate?" a fiery red-head asked with narrowed eyes.

Haru looked up and met Kyou's eyes in surprise. "That's one of my cousins. He can give you a description of the guys."

Nate immediately let Kyou go, "Well, why didn't you just join the group instead of skulking around the corner?"

Kyou glared at him while Haru made introductions. When he was done, Kyou looked over at his cousin and demanded, "What are you doing with a group of Yankees?"

"They're friends of mine." Haru replied.

"And Kitten. We like her a lot, too. You'll have to bring her back once she's feeling better." Steve added.

"We'll take care of those guys. We'll get Kai on it too. Can you give us a better description of the gang that attacked her, Kyou?" Joey asked.

A malicious smile spread across Kyou's face as he realized what Haru was doing, "Yeah. I can." He proceeded to give them all the details he could recall, which was enough to impress them and Nate was almost certain he knew which gang it was.

The bald man shook his head sadly. "I can't believe I didn't realize it was her they were bitching about a few weeks ago. I'm sorry, Haru. I should have realized that if she was hanging out with you she knew how to take care of herself."

Haru shrugged the apology off, "You had no way of knowing, Nate." He shifted his gaze to Joey, "Do you guys need anything from me? I want to get home and check on her. I'm worried someone might have followed us last night."

Kyou looked at him like he was nuts, "You don't think that's a tad paranoid?"

Haru shrugged, "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"We'll keep watch until they're taken care of." Joey said quietly. "Steve, you have first shift. Someone will be there in a couple hours. Nate, go find Kai and round up some others so we can track down those guys."

The guys nodded and set off at a quick walk. Haru smiled at Joey, "Thanks, man."

"She's our kitten, too." the leader replied with a grin.

Haru turned to Kyou, "Come on. Let's get to school before Hatori sends out the search squad."

Kyou nodded and said good-bye to Joey before slouching after Haru.

"So, why did you decide to follow me?" Haru asked.

"I was curious where you wanted to go instead of school or Michiko's." Kyou snapped.

"So you were just being nosy?"

The cat shrugged, "So?"

"Why?"

"She's my friend, too." the cat snarled.

Haru shrugged, "Just curious. No need to get angry."

They were quiet, each alone with his own worries, as they walked together across town until Kyou had to head for the high school.

"Don't get lost." Kyou said as he walked away.

Haru frowned at him before glancing around with a sigh as he realized he had no idea how to get to school from there.

----------

Michiko went down to the mailbox and frowned lightly when she felt eyes on her. She glanced around but didn't see anyone so dismissed it as leftover paranoia from last night. She took the stack of mail upstairs and started leafing through it as soon as the door closed behind her. Spotting her bank statement she tore it open and glanced at it to make sure nothing was out of line. She came to a large charge and blinked when she saw how much the down payment had been on whatever Ayame and Mine were making for her. _Wow. That better be some outfit. It's going to run me a full two paychecks. Thank goodness I have a little put by or I'd really be in trouble._

Her head snapped up as she realized she should have been at work by now and she hurriedly wrote a note letting Kishi know she wouldn't be in for a couple of days. She sent Haru a message letting him know she had decided to go to the store after all and slipped out of the apartment to head towards the nearest post office. She didn't keep her own owl and hadn't been able to get the letter spell to go as far as she needed to get to work so she had to do it the old fashioned way instead.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled and she knew someone was watching her. Unsure who or why she continued to walk at the same pace and kept to crowded areas until she could duck out of sight and apparate to the post office. Satisfied she had lost her tail she went up to the counter and paid for the post before slipping back out to do her shopping in the all magical area. She figured it was the safest place for her and knew that no one was watching, which made her feel a lot more comfortable.

Once the shopping was done she apparated out to her usual spot and started walking home. A few blocks away she felt eyes on her again but continued to walk sedately with her groceries until she was safely inside. She pondered the watcher and wondered what he or she was after before deciding to let it play out and keep her guard up at all times.


	7. Secrets

Notes:

Another long one! I still only own Michiko, Kishi, and I forgot about the Yankees. Shame on me. :)

~Tali

Chapter 7 - Secrets

Michiko had continued to ignore the prickle on the back of her neck that said she was being followed every time she stepped foot out of the apartment and to text Haru whenever she went anywhere. He was more worried about her than she was and she thought it very sweet. It was almost time to confront her shadow. She had been waiting until she had healed herself enough that the confrontation would go her way. She knew she was going to have to tell Haru at least a little bit of her secret and she hoped he wouldn't be too angry with her for not being honest. She also wondered if she would ever be able to hug him. Not that kissing him wasn't wonderful, but it would be nice to just snuggle in his arms and stay there for a while. He made her feel safe and it was a wonderful feeling that she hadn't had nearly enough of in her short life. He also made her want to be around people and get to know them and have contact with them. Before he had come into her life she was so shy and it was so hard for her to connect with anyone. There had been the occasional date to keep up appearances but nothing ever stuck because she couldn't bring herself to allow them to be close to her. Now, all she could think about was being closer to Haru and her new friends.

Once again she was walking by the middle school and the sound of children jeering caught her attention. She was able to make out something about hair and them laughing. Kat was in the middle of the circle once again and it ticked Michiko off that they could be so cruel to such a sweet girl.

"What is wrong with you, you little monsters?" she growled as her eyes glowed an angry red. "If all you can do is be cruel, shut your mouths and leave her alone. Now scram before I give you a reason to cry." she snarled at them.

Once again the children made themselves scarce except for the one boy that moved away but kept watch. "Hello again, Kat."

The girl continued to look down at the ground, so Michiko knelt beside her again. "Hey, don't let them get to you." She reached out to play with her hair, "Your hair is beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Her reaching out had pulled up her sleeve and Kat touched her bandages gently in question.

"Don't worry, Dr. Hatori fixed me up. He said I'll be right as rain in a few more days."

Kat continued to look at her questioningly so Michiko gave her an outline of what had happened a few days before. Feeling no need to upset her unduly with the details, she kept to the barest details. The girl listened closely, especially while Michiko was talking about her friends and all they had done to help her. Once the tale was told the girl reached out and gave Michiko a careful hug, which was happily returned.

When Kat released her, Michiko took off one of her necklaces and wound it around the girl's wrist. "In case you need a friend, okay?" Michiko saw the teacher headed their way, "Are you ready to go back to class, Kat?"

She looked over at the teacher before giving Michiko a small smile good-bye and joining her.

"Hello, Michiko-san. It's nice to see you again." the teacher said.

"Hello, Teacher. It's nice to see you again as well. I don't want to keep her from class so I'll get out of your hair. Have a good day." she bowed respectfully before departing. It was time for her to start preparing dinner for Hatori, Ayame, and Haru who were coming over later that evening to visit and check on her.

When they were well away from the school Michiko ducked quickly between two building and pinned the guy that had been following her to the brick wall. "You've been following me for days. Something you need?" she demanded.

"Just doing my job, Mi." came the surprised reply.

She released him at once, "Nate?"

"Yep."

"What job are you doing?"

"Keeping an eye on you." he replied with a grin.

Her eyes narrowed, "On whose orders?"

"Joey's."

"Well, why don't we go see him?" she demanded, highly insulted to find she was being babysat.

"That won't be necessary." came a voice from behind her.

She spun around and arched a brow at Kai. "And what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, young lady. I'll walk you home." He nodded to Nate and the other man smiled at her before taking off. She took his arm and allowed him to steer her towards home.

"Haru spoke with you?" she asked.

"Indirectly."

"And?"

"And we're taking care of them."

"I wonder why he hasn't mentioned it." she murmured.

Kai shrugged, "Maybe you should ask him. Or Kyou for that matter."

Her eyes widened, "Kyou was there, too?"

He nodded, "He provided detailed descriptions for us."

"Interesting. I'll have to ask them about it." she muttered.

"I'm sure they haven't mentioned it because they don't want to worry you."

Michiko sighed, "You're probably right."

He indicated she should precede him up the stairs and followed closely behind. She unlocked the door and he moved to enter before she did.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Making sure no one came in while you were gone." he replied before carefully checking out each room.

She lifted a brow, "What about the other times I've come home alone before I confronted my shadow?" _And never mind the wards I put in place to protect me from those thugs._

"Someone came in and checked it when you were reported to be on your way home." he replied.

_No wonder he was so adamant about my keeping in close contact while I was not home. _"Don't you think you're going the teensiest bit overboard here?"

"No. They've been talking and they want you punished."

Her eyes widened, "Oh. I'm going to make tea, would you like some?"

"Please." he replied before following her and leaning against the counter.

"My doctor is coming over in a little while with Haru so you'll need to clear out before he gets here. I don't think I could come up with an explanation that wouldn't worry him." she warned.

"That's fine. I can't stay long anyway." he replied easily.

They talked as she served tea and cooked dinner. They had a few years to catch up on and he was curious how she's come to be where she was. After a while he looked at the heaps of food in the kitchen and was stunned by the huge amount of food she was cooking.

"How many people are coming over?" he asked curiously.

"There should be four of us." she replied cheerfully.

He frowned, "How much food can four people possibly eat?"

She grinned as she started efficiently loading bento boxes, "It's not all for us, silly. You're to take these home and share with the guys keeping watch."

"What? I'm not a delivery boy." he retorted.

She dumped the largest box in his hands with a wide smile on her face; brightness undiminished by the stitches and light bruises that adorned it. "That one's yours. Do you need me to call a cab?" she asked as she indicated to the boxes still waiting to be filled.

He gave her a dirty look, "No, you certainly do not. I'm sure I can manage."

"Marvelous." she tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for trying to be my friend, teaching me what I needed to know to survive, and for helping me make my way when I was lost."

He smiled at her a little, "You were terrifying, you know."

She scoffed at him as she returned to filling boxes, "I still am."

Kai studied her, "No, you're not. When you were younger the darkness within you was out there for everyone to see. You appear to have it well under control now."

She blinked at him. "Was it really that bad?"

"Yes. If not worse. Why do you think none of the others would speak to you?"

She shrugged, "Because I didn't speak to them?"

"Some would have chanced it had you not been so terrifying. Do you really think all pretty little girls live on the streets so safely? You terrified the bad guys as well as the good." he returned.

Michiko looked uncomfortable, "I truly meant no harm or malice."

"Nor did you do any. It's strange how you could have such violence in you but never unleash it."

She smiled bitterly, "Who said I never unleashed it?"

His face cleared in understanding, "So that's why you were out there. You're doing a lot better now. It really surprised me to see you talking with the others and I should tell you it shocked the hell out of me when you hugged me hello."

"Why?"

"You never once touched anyone on your own. You allowed me to touch you just enough to show you how to put in stitches and I was half convinced you were going to run instead of learn. I'm glad to see you doing so well, Mi."

She gave him a sad smile, "I'm sorry I couldn't be a better friend to you before. I realize now it must have been hard on you to help take care of me. Why did you do it?"

It was his turn to smile sadly, "You remind me of my sister. You're as contrary as she was."

Michiko hugged him around the box, "I'm sorry. I never knew or thought to ask."

He shifted the box to one hand so he could tug her hair, "It's all right. You helped me, too. You came to me when I needed purpose more than anything and helping you kept me out of the worst of the trouble I could have gotten in."

"Then we're friends?"

"Of course. You better finish up those boxes if you want me out of here before the Doc arrives."

She finished packing and placed the rest of the boxes in his hands. "You better get a move on so you don't traumatize my doctor."

He smiled and allowed her to show him out the door. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he pondered the outside door for a moment before a tall dark haired man opened it and waved him out. "Thank you." he said politely.

"You're welcome." Hatori replied quietly, worried that Yankees were in this part of town. Or worse yet, in Michiko's building.

"Come in and be welcome, Sohma-sensei." Michiko stepped back so Hatori could enter and she took his coat and hung it on the rack.

"Hello, Michiko-san. Please call me Hatori. How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"Thank you. Terrific. How about you?" she responded cheerfully.

"Fine." He watched her peek out the door and answered her unspoken question, "Ayame won't be able to make it. He sends his regrets but asked if I would give you this note and package." He handed her a folded piece of paper and a brightly decorated shopping bag. She opened the note and laughed as she read it.

_Dearest Blossom,_

_Something has come up and I simply cannot make it to dinner tonight. Do you think you could find it in your heart to send Hatori back with a box? He refused to ask you for me but consented to give you a note should I write one. Say hello to Yuki for me next time you see him._

_Your order is finished and should be perfect for you. If you do need any alterations bring it by and we'll take care of it, though I doubt we'll need to._

_Ayame_

Michiko looked at the bag nervously then at Hatori before shrugging. She was curious what they had come up with. "I have no idea what they made for me. I just went into the shop because I was curious about the name. Mine measured me half to death and sent me on my way."

She opened the bag and pulled out the contents. Once she had shaken it out, Hatori put a hand to his face and turned away. She studied it thoughtfully for several minutes before laughing. "At least it's cute."

It was a very short dark gray dress that she bet would bring out her eyes nicely. Deep purple ribbons laced the front closed on the corseted top. It had off the shoulder puffs for sleeves that looked like they would drape nicely and enhance the view of her bust line. A row of tiny, sparkly stones accented the top and two more went down on either side of the laces. The skirt was short in the front and long in the back and had a flirty cut. The kicker though, was the black and grey striped cat tail that came off the back and the headband with little cat ears. The bag also included a pair of deadly looking heels that matched the dress perfectly.

"I'll just put this away." she said as she laughed again and folded it neatly into the bag. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me tonight. Come, make yourself comfortable while I finish making dinner." Michiko said as she led him into the living room. She turned to tell him to take a seat at the couch and the expression on his face had her struggling to keep a straight face. She glanced down so she would not have to look at him and asked in as even a voice as she could muster, "Is something bothering you, Hatori-san?"

"Is there something wrong with the electricity?" he finally asked. She had forgotten this was the first time he'd been over when it was dark and she was awake.

"No. I just prefer light from lamps rather than bulbs. It's much . . . softer, don't you think?" she asked innocently while giving her lashes the slightest flutter.

He looked so thoroughly discomfited that she took pity on him. "I only jest, Hatori-san. I do prefer lamps but I think the light bulbs work if you would be more comfortable."

"Ah, no. It's fine. Where is Haru?"

"He said he's helping Yuki with some school stuff that ran late. He said he would swing by whenever they finished. I better check on dinner. I hope you like it." she said as she walked back to the kitchen.

The doctor followed with a concerned expression as he asked, "Did you know a Yankee was leaving when I arrived?"

Michiko stiffened slightly, "Yes, I did."

His eyes latched onto hers, "Really?"

"Yes. He helped me when no one else would."

"So you know the Yankee?"

"Yes." she replied flatly.

"And you trust him?"

"With my safety."

"But not your life?" he pressed.

She smiled slightly, "I trust myself with my life. That is all I need."

Hatori watched as she checked on a couple pots on the stove and on something in the oven. She turned everything off and started dishing it up. Hatori took the bowls from her and she turned to bring the tea tray to the table.

"Michiko-san, I've been meaning to ask you something." he said after a few bites.

"All right."

"Yuki told me a while ago that he had an asthma attack and you helped him. He said you used Reiki on him?" Hatori asked. Michiko made a noncommittal noise in response. "He said what you did stopped it right away. How?"

She frowned at him, "It's difficult to explain. Especially to a scientific doctor."

"Try me."

Michiko quirked a brow at him, "Are you familiar with working with energy?"

"I've heard about it."

"I found I have an affinity for working with energy and using it to heal."

"Can you show me?"

Michiko hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Do you have any injuries?"

Hatori took inventory before picking up his knife and sliding it across the pad of his thumb.

"Or you can make one." she said with a light edge of sarcasm.

Hatori raised a brow before holding his hand out to her. She frowned but brushed a fingertip next to it and wiped the blood off with a napkin. Hatori looked down in surprise. It was completely healed, without a mark and she hadn't even touched it.

"Interesting." he murmured. "Why didn't you use this on your injuries?"

"What makes you think I haven't?" she asked quietly.

He reached over and flipped on the overhead lights before turning to study her closely. Her bruises were almost gone and the cuts on her face were almost completely healed. He tugged her arm over and pushed her sleeve out of the way so he could unwind some of the bandages. The cuts were healed enough to take the stitches out.

"These stitches are ready to come out." he told her.

"I know. I was going to take them out tonight."

"You should not take out stitches without your doctor's approval." he reprimanded her.

"I know when stitches are ready to come out. Besides, you said yourself that they were ready."

"Why haven't you healed everything completely?" he asked.

"I had to stay injured for a little while at least or it would raise questions I don't really want to answer."

"I see. What does Haru think of this?"

"He hasn't asked about it but I imagine he will when my bandages are off tomorrow."

"Are you going to tell him the truth?" Hatori asked.

"Of course. I don't lie to those I care about." she said seriously.

"What about those you don't?"

She shrugged. "It would depend on the question. I'm more than happy to tell someone that it's none of their business, which is not a lie."

"I see. I would prefer if you allowed me to remove the stitches this evening."

"If you insist." she replied with a slight smile.

Once they had finished eating she removed the dishes from the table and Hatori waved her into the seat next to him. He had gotten his medical bag from the car while she was putting everything away and now it was on the table.

Michiko shrugged out of her shirt and sat at the table in her tank top so he could get to the stitches without the sleeves getting in the way. After unwinding the bandages he closely examined each cut that had been stitched to make sure they were all ready to be removed.

"This one is not quite ready." he told her as he pointed out one of the deeper cuts on her upper left arm.

She twisted her arm to see it better and nodded, "Just a moment." She placed her right hand over the injury and concentrated for a few moments.

Hatori watched as a very light glow surrounded her hand and faded as she removed it. "That's better. It must be very useful to be able to heal yourself so easily." he said as he started gently removing stitches.

"It's come in very handy over the years." she agreed.

"Haru mentioned you told him you could have put in your own stitches if I had not been available?" he probed.

She gave a slightly bitter smile at that, "Yes. I have been stitching up my own wounds since Kai, the Yankee you saw, showed me how. It took a lot longer for me to realize I could heal myself with energy instead."

"How did you find out?"

She slowly replied, "I had to."

He studied her face for several moments, "An injury you couldn't stitch?"

"Something like that." she replied.

"Thank you for taking care of Yuki. I appreciate the risk you took to help him."

Michiko gave him a small smile, "I'm always happy to help one of the Sohmas."

"Did you assist Kyou as well?." he asked as he returned his attention to removing the stitches from her arm.

"Yes. Not was well as I would have liked but enough to help him."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

About halfway through there was a knock at the door. "Excuse me, Hatori-san. That's probably Haru." Michiko got up and opened the door.

She blinked in surprise before grimacing lightly, "Kishi-sama, what brings you here?"

"You've been avoiding me, Michiko-chan." Kishi said as she walked into the apartment.

"Come in and be welcome. I haven't been avoiding you, just delaying the inevitable." Michiko replied as she closed the door and led the way into the living room.

Hatori looked up in surprise as Kishi walked in. He stood and bowed politely, "Hello, Kishi-san. It's nice to see you again."

Kishi smiled as she walked over to him. "Hatori-san, what happened to Michiko? She won't tell me anything."

"Well, why don't you have a seat and Michiko can explain it while I finish removing her stitches." he replied quietly.

"Stitches?!" Kishi said as she turned around and looked Michiko over. She saw the lines of stitches on her arms and face and exploded. "What the hell happened to you, Michiko-chan? I will personally see to it that they never get near you again. Why haven't you healed –" she stopped abruptly and glanced guiltily at Hatori.

Michiko gave her an exasperated look as she returned to her chair so Hatori could continue, "Well, it's a good thing I just finished telling him about my ability to heal myself, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just so worried about you. All I know is that you called in and said you were going to be out for a few days because of an injury. I've stopped by several times to check on you and you've avoided me. Please, what happened?" Kishi said in a rush.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and by the time I was removed from the situation there were too many witnesses for me to be able to heal myself."

"Details." Kishi demanded.

Michiko huffed, "Fine." she said before explaining what had happened and why.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Kishi asked when she was done.

"I'm fine. I've been watched over and taken care of. I actually had to shove Haru out the door yesterday and today to get him to go to school."

"Haru was here overnight again?" Hatori asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"Yes. Are his parents ever home?" Michiko asked.

"Not as often as they probably should be. In their place, I need to ask you to not become a bad influence on Haru."

Michiko looked at him in surprise, "Is shoving him out the door to make sure he goes to school and then bothering him until he does his homework while he's here a bad influence?"

Hatori gave her a small smile, "No. Please continue with that. He really shouldn't spend the night here with you alone."

"I know. He only does it when he thinks I'm unable to take care of myself. And that one time we fell asleep during movie night. But that's all, Hatori-san. I am not looking to take advantage of him in any way."

"Good."

"How much longer should she stay out of work?" Kishi asked.

"She was fine to go to work yesterday." Hatori answered.

Kishi looked at Michiko expectantly. "Well, I didn't want you to worry so I stayed home while I had to keep the worst of my bruises."

"I see. Well, next time I expect a better explanation from you. We're supposed to be friends, Michiko-chan, and I can't help you if you won't let me."

"I know. I'm sorry, Kishi-sama."

"All finished." Hatori said as he pulled the final stitch out. "Do try to stay healthy for a while." he added dryly.

"I always try. It just doesn't always work." she replied cheekily.

He gave her a narrow look and she smiled at him. "Thank you for taking care of my stitches."

"Hmphf." he replied as he put away his tools.

"You should have her teach you how to do energy healing, Hatori-san." Kishi suggested. "It would probably come in handy."

"It would be helpful to know, but why don't you teach me, Kishi-san?" he asked.

"I'm no healer. If you want to learn you should have Michiko teach you. She is very good."

He considered that for a long moment, "Would you be willing to teach me, Michiko-san?"

"Of course, Hatori-san."

Michiko went into the kitchen and grabbed the box she had made up for Ayame. "Would you please give this to Ayame for me?" she asked.

"Of course." he replied before standing. "I should get going."

"I'll see you later, Hatori-san. Thank you." Michiko said with a bow.

"You're welcome. Good-bye Michiko-san, Kishi-san." he said.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Kishi said to him quietly with a smile.

"Until then." he replied equally quietly before walking out the door and closing it gently behind him.

"Tomorrow, hmmm?" Michiko said to Kishi with a knowing smile.

"We've met for coffee a couple of times. It's nothing." she evaded.

"Of course." Michiko agreed.

"So, about those thugs, they're in jail?" Kishi said, changing the subject.

"No. Why?" Michiko asked.

"Oh, no reason. I should probably get home. It's getting late." she evaded.

"Don't do anything that's going to get you in trouble." Michiko warned.

"My dear child, I am the head of spell tracing. I assure you, if I wish to do something, no one will know it was me or what it is." she said loftily.

Michiko smirked at her, "What about me?"

"You're good, but I've been in the business a lot longer."

"I'll catch up one day. Just – just do me a favor and don't get the wrong guys."

"What do you mean? Yankees are Yankees." Kishi returned.

"No, they aren't and there is a group of them that are looking for those guys as well." Michiko explained.

"Really?"

"Yes. My friends. Don't mix them up with the bad guys."

"How will I be able to tell which are which?" Kishi questioned.

"The red-head travelling with a bald guy and one with slicked back black hair are the leaders of one group and my friend from when I was in school will be the older blond guy. Older than me, not older like old."

"I see. I'll do my best not to hurt any of them permanently until I clear it with you."

"Thanks. I'll see you in the office tomorrow now that I'm healed enough to avoid stares. I thought about a glamour, but I knew you'd see right through it."

"You're correct. See you tomorrow, Michiko-chan."

"See you tomorrow, Kishi-san."

Michiko closed the door behind her before taking a seat on the couch to wait for Haru to wander by. A couple hours later there was a knock on the door and she put aside the book she had been reading to answer it.

"Hello, Haru-kun. Please come in and be welcome."

He smiled as he entered and looked her over closely. "Your stitches are out." he said in surprise.

"Yes. Hatori said they were fine to come out and he removed them after dinner."

"How is that possible? The quickest I've ever seen stitches out was seven days and yours have only been in for four. Does this have something to do with those energy working books you have in your room?" he asked.

"Have a seat and I'll explain it to you."

Once they were settled she reached over and took his hand. "I am able to use energy working to heal myself and others. I've been using a little at a time to speed up my healing since there were so many people that knew I was injured I couldn't heal them immediately."

"Why are you only telling me this now?" he asked curiously.

"It hadn't really come up until now. I haven't been so injured that I couldn't heal it right away with anyone noticing."

"What about when you were so sick a few months ago?" he asked.

"I did use it for that, but I wasn't able to help myself until after Hatori's medication had cleared my head a bit. I have to be self aware enough to concentrate in order for it to work."

"Interesting. Can anyone learn to use it?" Haru asked.

"Anyone can learn to use it to an extent."

"When did you realize you could heal yourself?"

Michiko looked down at her hands for a long moment, "My father beat me with a belt until I passed out one day. When I woke up I was still bleeding. I tried so hard to get to all of the injuries but couldn't do it as they were all over my back. I wished I could heal them some other way and suddenly they started healing beneath my hands. After a while I learned to direct it with a finger and now I just need to place my hand near an injury and I can heal it."

Haru looked at her for a long moment before taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips. "I'm sorry." _Bastard. We'll take care of him if he ever shows his face around here._

"You don't have anything to be sorry about." she said quietly.

"I'm sorry that you had such a rough time growing up." he replied.

She shrugged then smiled, "It's a lot better now, especially since I've met you."

"Well that's something then." he replied with an answering smile.

"Haru-kun? May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why aren't your parents ever around?"

His eyes shuttered. "They have other things to do. Why do you ask?"

"Hatori said something to me earlier tonight and it made me curious."

"What did he say?"

She smiled a little, "He asked me to not become a bad influence on you and said your parents weren't home as often as they should be."

"A bad influence? Are you serious?" he growled.

"Yes, but I assured him I made sure you made it to school and did your homework and he seemed satisfied. He would prefer you didn't spend the night here alone with me though."

He frowned, "There's nothing we can do at night that we can't do during the day or that I haven't done already."

She raised a brow, "Does he know that?"

"Um, I'm not sure."

"Then his concern is well founded." she said.

"I'm not doing anything wrong." Haru defended.

"I know that and you know that, but parents are a different thing altogether."

He sighed, "That's true."

"I'll be all right. You should stay home and check in with Hatori this evening so he knows you're home. Besides I know my shadows are standing watch right now."

"I'd rather stay here with you." he argued. "And how did you know about them? I asked Joey to be discreet."

She smiled softly, "I'd rather you stay here too, but we need to work within the parent's rules when possible so they don't get unduly worried." Her smiled turned into a smirk, "As for my shadows, I knew I was being followed the moment I set foot out of my apartment. As long as I'm paying the least bit of attention to my surrounding no one can sneak up on me."

----------

Haru pulled Michiko into her room and slowly closed the door behind them. He was very concerned about a few things that she had said since she had been hurt and he didn't want her to continue thinking along those lines. She turned on the bedside lamp and looked over at him nervously.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mi-chan. I just want you to stop thinking your scars make you any less beautiful."

She looked away "But, Haru-kun, how can they not? Every time I look at them I see pain and suffering and feel so very ugly." she whispered.

He walked over and sat down next to her with her small hand between his large ones. "Everything about you is beautiful. Let's give you something else to think about when you see them." he said before lifting her arm and gently starting to brush kisses over her scars, one at a time, as she slowly relaxed into his touch.

He worked his way up one arm and then across her shoulders and the back of her neck before moving down the other arm, taking care to not miss a single one in the low light. Once done, he moved behind her and helped her out of her tank top before urging her to lie down on her stomach. A deep frown moved over his face as he took in the damage done to her by her father's belt but one particularly nasty scar on her lower back caught his attention.

"Mi-chan?"

"Yes, Haru-kun?" she asked quietly as she tensed.

He reached out to trace the scar in question, "What happened here?"

"Knife."

"He stabbed you with a knife?" Haru asked incredulously.

She squeezed her eyes shut, "It was handy."

_Death would be too kind a punishment for him._ Haru thought angrily as his black side tried to claw its way to the surface. _How dare he hurt what's ours!_ it growled. _She wasn't ours then. Now we need to help her, not make it worse. Go away. If we meet him, he's yours. _The darkness within him grumbled but backed down.

He brushed his fingertip lightly over it before bending down and pressing a lingering kiss to the ridged skin. Haru worked his way up her back just as methodically as he had her arms. It took a bit longer, since there were more scars, and they were larger, but he wanted to make sure he didn't miss a single one.

When he was done he helped her get back into her shirt and curled so they were face to face and holding hands. "Mi, you are the most lovely girl I have ever seen." He wiped a stray tear from her eye. "Don't ever doubt that. You are my beautiful kitten."

She smiled softly at him before using her fingertips to guide him closer for a tender kiss.


	8. Magic

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, and the Yankees. Borrowed part of a scene from the anime because I liked it so much. :)

~Tali

Chapter 8 – Magic

Michiko was on her way to the store when she spotted Kyou walking across the school quad. He looked very upset so she followed him into the building to see if he was going to class or if he was going to cut. Sometimes being so young came in handy. He headed for the stairwell to the roof and she followed him quietly. Once they were on the roof she smiled a little as he settled himself down for a nap in the sunshine. The scene would have been okay except for the miserable look on his face. He looked heartbreakingly sad. She walked carefully over and sat down next to him.

"Kyou-kun, what's the matter?"

"Nothing! Leave me alone!" he shouted.

She scooted so that she was close enough to touch him and started running her fingers through his hair and scratching his head gently. He started to relax and she shifted so she could rub his head with one hand and his back with the other. "Won't you please tell me what's upsetting you so?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I've started to think of you as my little brother and I want to help you if you'll let me."

He turned a little to look at her and saw she was serious. He put his head back down and closed his eyes. Sometime later he finally started to speak, "I don't understand you. Why do you care about me? I'm not worth it. No one cares. No one ever has, so why do you?"

Michiko looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Kyou-kun you are worth it. You are a good person. I don't know who's made you feel that you're not, but they are _wrong._"

"No, they aren't. I'm a monster."

She scrambled around so she could see his face. Sorrow was etched into it. She lay down next to him and reached out to rub her knuckles across his cheek. He looked at her in surprise at the gentle gesture.

"You. Are. Wrong."

"You don't know everything about me, how can you know that?"

"I've seen into your heart, Kyou-kun. When you speak of Sensei, when you fight, when you are around Tohru your heart is there to see and it is beautiful. We can't always see the good in ourselves, but that's why we have friends like Tohru. To remind us that we are not as bad as we think we are."

He looked over to see her looking unwaveringly into his eyes.

She moved her other hand to take hold of one of his and smiled teasingly. "You know I'm right."

"No, I don't." he said with some of his usual bite.

"Have you ever won an argument with me? Quit wasting your breath."

He opened his mouth to argue but found he didn't have anything to say.

"See? That's much easier, isn't it?" She glanced around the roof before returning her gaze to him, "Since you're obviously not going to classes this morning, do you want to come over to my place instead? The sun hits the couch very nicely this time of day and you can have a much comfier nap there."

He considered her for a few moments, searching for lies or tricks but could find only honesty and openness. "You really mean all that crap you spouted, didn't you?"

She raised a brow, "Yes."

"Okay. I'll go keep you company since you obviously can't stand being alone."

She chuckled at him as they stood and linked an arm through his. "Lead on. I barely found my way up here. I'm not sure I can find my way back out again."

He shook his head in exasperation, "You and the ushi are made for each other."

She smiled at him, "Your family has some odd nicknames for each other. I've been thinking about them and they are for the zodiac, aren't they? I have heard people use inu, neko, ushi, nezumi, hebi, and usagi." She ignored the way he stiffened slightly and continued, "You Sohma's are a bit odd. Loveable, but odd."

They finally escaped the school in a round about route that she would never be able to duplicate and she led the way to her apartment. When they got there she opened the door and turned to him, "Come in and be welcome."

Kyou looked at all the oil lamps everywhere and shook his head, "And you call us weird." He went over to the same couch he and Tohru had slept on and curled up on it.

She followed him over and ruffled his hair. "You really are a neko, aren't you? Do you want some tea or milk or would you rather go straight to sleep?"

Kyou blushed a little, "Milk?"

She chuckled and went into the kitchen to get some. After he had finished the glass she took it back into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. She wandered back into the living room with it and saw he was already fast asleep on her couch. She ran her hand over his head on the way by and tucked a blanket around him. It was a little chilly by the window even with the sunshine. Deciding he would be fine for now, she went back to her studies. She was researching a very archaic spell that had been used on a high ranking officer that they needed to get back to work. Today was her day off so she had brought a load of books home to look through. It was such an interesting spell . . . .

A few hours later the neko sat up and stretched lazily. She gave him a smile, "How are you feeling, little brother?"

He blinked at her for a moment, "Am I going to be able to get you to stop calling me that?"

The smiled widened, "Nope. You argue with me over stupid stuff, you sleep on my couch all morning, you fight with me, you teach me, you're nice to me in your own twisted way. That's all stuff brothers do."

"Fine. But I'm not calling you big sister so don't even think about it."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

He looked around a bit. "Are all these books yours?"

"No, I borrowed some of them. They're for work."

He cringed. "Doesn't look like much fun."

She shrugged. "Sometimes it's more fun than others."

"Whatever. I should probably get back to school for afternoon classes at least."

"Do you need me to walk you back?"

"NO! Unlike you and the ushi, I can find my way around just fine. I've walked down this street hundreds of times."

"Oookay then." She stuffed a scrap of paper and a key into his hand. "Call me anytime you need to talk or just drop by. You are always welcome here."

He looked at the paper and key then at her before stuffing them into his pocket and slouching out the door.

----------

Haru was wandering down the hall lost in thought. He was thinking about what had happened earlier that morning. He had been on his way to class and saw Kyou leading Michiko out of the school by the hand. What he couldn't figure out was why Michiko was at the school and why she would leave with Kyou. It was really bothering him. They hadn't looked _together_ but why were they holding hands?

Suddenly someone stopped directly in his path and he nearly ran into him. It was the Student Council President and the guy practically oozed rule-abiding citizen. He had seen him at the entrance ceremony and taken an instant disliking to him. Haru looked at him quizzically for a moment before stepping to the side to go around him. The teen side-stepped with him so he looked at him in vague irritation, "Do you need something?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I need you to start following the school dress code, Hatsuharu-san. You have more violations in your first day than most students have in an entire year." he started lecturing in a shrill voice. "I will not tolerate that white hair or those gaudy necklaces." Haru tried to tune him out as he went on and on and _on_ about his supposed violations, starting with his hair and ending with his shoes, then back to his hair, and then what each of those violations said about him as a person – especially his hair. His voice got louder and shriller as he talked and Haru finally snapped.

"Shut up! Quite shoutin' like you're king of the friggin' world. You're making my ears bleed, you bastard. Now I've got some common sense for you. If I wore a tie, it wouldn't change who I am. If I had no piercings, it wouldn't mean I'm nice. And if my hair was black it wouldn't stop me from kicking your ass! Who do you think you _are_ anyway?" he growled and punched the guy into the wall.

"I thought you were going to kick my ass?" he asked pathetically.

Haru stomped over to him and picked him up by the collar, "Are you calling me a liar?!" he shoved the guy away and kicked his ass all the way down the hall. He decided he had enough school for one day and stomped out of the building, still seething.

He followed his feet and found himself outside of Michiko's apartment after only three wrong turns. He banged on the door and a moment later it opened to reveal Michiko's smiling face. Suddenly his doubts were gone, or at least temporarily forgotten. She only smiled like that for him.

"Hello, Haru-kun. Come in and be welcome."

He waited until the door was closed then caged her against it, "Hello, Kitten. Are you going to let me kiss you again?"

Her eyebrows raised in surprise at seeing Black Haru. "Is that all you ever think about?" she asked playfully.

"No." he leaned forward and started whispering other things he thought about into her ear.

"We're not doing any of that today. Do you ever deviate from that general theme?" she asked with a bright blush.

He shrugged, "I also think about kicking obnoxious people's asses, but I've already done that once today so I thought I would try something new."

She raised a hand and ran her fingers through his soft hair, "Well, I suppose one kiss won't hurt."

He didn't need to be told twice and pressed his lips against hers passionately. He really did care for his kitten. Several minutes later he pulled away for air and smiled.

"So, what brought you out to play today?" she asked breathlessly.

He growled just thinking about it. "Some idiot started ragging on me about all the ways I violate the dress code and what that says about me as a person. I wish people would get over my hair. It's natural. I don't dye it." He growled again, "Every once in a while I wish more people had hair like mine so people wouldn't bug me so much."

Michiko watched him rant. "So it really is natural? I couldn't decide. It's so soft I didn't see how it could have been treated with chemicals, but it's so unique I wasn't sure that it could be natural."

"You thought it was dyed too?! Dammit! What is with people?" he asked. He growled again before an odd look crossed his face. "I can prove it." and with that he proceeded to show her that the carpet matched the drapes.

She spun around quickly covering her eyes, "Haru-kun! I'm not ready to see that yet!"

Behind her there was a strangled sound. She turned around cautiously to see Haru hastily zipping up with an utterly baffled look on his face.

"Mi-chan? What's going on?"

"White Haru?" she asked.

"Yes . . . ."

"Someone was bothering you about your hair and how you violate the dress code and really pissed you off. Once you finished kicking his ass you cut school and came here to neck with me. I mentioned that I couldn't decide if your hair was natural or not so you decided to show me that it was."

He closed his eyes, "Do I need to apologize for anything besides flashing you? I only remember flashes of what happened."

She pulled him down to rest her forehead against his, "You don't need to apologize for anything, Haru-kun."

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "You are very understanding."

"I told you I want to know all of you. I was serious. Does it really bother you that people talk about your hair so much?"

"Yes. It's hair. It's not important at all, so why do people make such a big deal out of it?"

"I don't know. I really love your hair." She leaned back so she could run her fingers through it. It really was quite beautiful and she would love to have hair like that. She felt him stiffen and returned her gaze to his face. "What's wrong?"

"What did you do to your hair?!" his voice was very close to Black.

She looked at him blankly. He spun her around to face the mirror and she gasped. _Shit!_ She had been so focused on Haru's hair that hers changed to match!

She looked into his face and saw that he was _very_ unhappy, and angry too. _Okay the hair is going to have to go then and in order for that to work, you're going to have to tell him the truth. Damn._

Haru's eyes narrowed as he felt her tremble. He looked at her face and she looked like she was getting ready to face a firing squad. He turned her around and lifted her chin to capture her eyes. She continued to look down and he sighed softly feeling Black recede completely. "I'm sorry, Mi-chan. I did not mean to upset you."

She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to his, "Haru-kun there is something I need to tell you. I need you to promise to keep it a secret, okay?"

Haru furrowed his brows but nodded and led her over to the couch to sit down.

She took another deep breath before beginning, "Haru-kun, I have a gift that very few people have. I am a Metamorphagus, which is someone who can change their appearance at will."

"What does that mean, exactly, Mi-chan?"

"It's easier to show you than explain it. I was thinking about how much I like your hair, which is why it changed to match. I'll change it back to usual." she explained and concentrated on her usual hip length black hair with purple stripes. His eyes got impossibly large as he watched hair just sprout out of her head and change color.

"Wow." he studied her hair for a moment longer with a thoughtful expression, "What else can you change?"

"Um, everything about the way I look can be changed."

"So you could look just like me?" He watched her features blur and then he was looking at himself.

She got up and walked around a bit and she even moved like he did. "Huh. How does it work?"

"It's a type of magic that some people are just born with." she switched back to herself, with the correct hair this time.

"So is this what you really look like?"

She shrugged, "Mostly, yes."

"Can I see your true form?"

She quirked a brow a the phrasing but did as he asked. He stood next to her and studied her thoughtfully. "So you're a little taller, your eyes are blue, and your hair is dark red? That's all? Why did you change those three things?"

"I changed my height to make anyone one that tried to go after me underestimate me. I changed my hair because I like the purple and it clashed horribly with the red, and I changed my eyes because I thought the gray complemented the purple nicely. And they stood out too much anyway. It's hard being one of the few people with blue eyes in town. Easy to remember."

He lifted a brow slight, "And purple stripes blend into the crowd."

"Dye is easy to change and everyone does it."

"Would you stay like this when we're alone? I like the real you."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. Haru smiled back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "That's a neat power to have." _When the time comes, I think she'll truly accept me and not freak out about the curse._

Michiko reached for his hand and noticed his knuckles were bloody. "Let's get your hands cleaned up, shall we?"

He nodded and allowed her to lead him down the hall to the bathroom, where she sat him down and started clucking over him and cleaning his cut knuckles.

"So you said it's a type of magic, does that mean there are others?" he asked half-jokingly.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" she asked.

"Um, . . . yes?" he asked curiously.

"There are many types of magic and shape shifting is not the only one I can do. When I said I went to school, it was not a school like yours. It was a school to learn real magic." she paused, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm okay." he replied. "The healing thing?"

"That's a combination of energy work and magic. I have a strong aptitude for healing magic and I don't need a wand to focus it." She shook her wand into her hand and held it out for him to see. "I use this to focus my power and an incantation to direct it for everything else. Like this." she levitated a book from one stack to the next.

"I thought you needed an incantation?"

"I learned how to do it without speaking it aloud. Makes it tougher to counter in a duel."

"A duel?" he asked interestedly, that sounded fun.

"Yes. That's what wizards call a fight. Personally, I prefer martial arts but there is something satisfying about hitting an opponent with a well placed spell. Anyway, magic is also how I get around so fast. I can move instantly from one place to another as long as I've been there before or someone can clearly show me. But that only works if they want me to see. I can't do it otherwise. It's quite handy."

"Can you take me along when you do it?"

"Of course. It's a little disorienting when you first start, but you get used to it after a while. Where would you like to go?" she asked.

"Somewhere to eat. I think I missed lunch."

She nodded and stepped close to him, "Still no hugs?" she asked.

Haru shook his head, "No hugs."

"Okay." she moved so her arm was around his waist and her other hand was gripping his arm across their bodies. "Ready?"

He nodded a little nervously and then felt like he was being squished. Suddenly he was standing inside an ally in the middle of town and nearly fell flat on his face. "Where are we?"

"Two streets up from the noodle place. Are you okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, I just need a moment and I'll be fine."

"Take your time." she said as she rubbed circles on his back. "You're taking this pretty well."

He shrugged a little. "I've seen enough things that I can't explain to keep an open mind." _At least I won't have to worry about her telling our secret. I'm going to have to one day if I want to keep her._

"Ready?" she asked a few moments later.

"Yeah. I think so." He took her had and led her into the restaurant.

They placed their orders and found a table. Haru made small talk until their order had been delivered and then asked the question that had been on his mind during the entire conversation.

"Is magic part of why you moved out early?"

"Yes. I started using accidental magic when I was very small. It frightened my parents and they started punishing me for it. I never meant to do it and I couldn't control it so I was punished often. My mother ignored me utterly and my father only paid attention to me to punish me. It only got worse as I got older and he got drunker." she explained matter-of-factly.

Haru watched her closely as she explained and noticed that her eyes darkened a little at the end of her explanation. Remembering her scars and the incident with the belt, he decided not to push the issue.

"Well, I think it's pretty handy all in all." he said as he dug into his meal.

"So, what do you really do for a living?" he asked curiously, a few bites later. He had noticed that she always seemed to evade questions about work or answer them in such a way that it discouraged further conversation or changed the direction of said conversation.

She giggled and leaned forward to speak quietly, "I research spells that have been cast on people that no one can figure out how to remove."

"Ah. Wouldn't have guessed that."

"I'm glad you're taking all of this so well. I've only told one other man about my ability and promised I would never tell anyone ever again. I wasn't sure I would ever tell anyone about the rest of it if they didn't already know."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Well, think about it for a moment, you tell a man that you can look like anyone or anything and suddenly he wants to go out with the 'perfect girl' and never wants to see the real you anymore."

"So he was an old boyfriend then?"

"I'm not sure I would go that far. He happened to catch me while I was testing out new looks and I had to explain. Once he started asking me to change my appearance I stopped talking to him. We dated for less than two months."

"Well, I like the real you and to hell with the other guy. He was an idiot." Haru said with a slight scowl.

She smiled as she reached over to touch his arm, "I like the real you too."

His eyes landed on the bandages on his hands and he held one up, "If you can heal with magic why did you use bandages on me?"

"Because I know those injuries don't really bother you and taking the time to clean and bandage them is one way I show you that I care for you. Rest assured that any serious injury you receive will be tended as quickly as Yuki's asthma attack."

"So you used magic on him for that?"

"Of course. It was an emergency. Would you prefer I heal your hands instantly?" she asked curiously.

"No. I like that you do it the long way. It makes me feel cared for and that's not something I had a lot of before I met you."

She smiled softly in response, "I want you to always feel cared for when I'm around."

"I do."

----------

Michiko answered the door with a grin and welcomed Hatori inside. "Are you ready?"

He shrugged slightly, "I believe so." He looked around at the lit lamps and shook his head. "Do you have something against electricity?"

"No, but this will work better for what we're doing tonight." She had pushed most of the furniture to the edges of the living room and indicated the older man should take a seat on a cushion. "Tonight we will be meditating and you will practicing aura gazing and energy sensing."

His brow lifted ever so slightly in question.

"Yes, aura gazing and energy sensing. You can hardly manipulate something you can't see or sense." She lit a tall white taper. "Now I want you to relax your mind and do some of the meditation exercises I assigned you and when you feel your mind has relaxed try to see the aura of the candle and sense the energy from your own hands. If you have any questions I will be sitting right next to you doing the same thing."

"You can really see auras?" he asked with a slight edge of disbelief coloring his voice.

"Yes, and yours is tragically complicated." she returned.

"What does it look like?" he asked, trying to remember what he'd read on aura colors and what they meant.

"Complicated. You'll see it for yourself soon enough and you are sufficiently self aware to know how you feel from the roots up."

He nodded his agreement to that and turned his attention to the candle. He felt ridiculous staring at a candle while sitting on a cushion and looked over at Michiko. She was gazing at it serenely with her eyes slightly unfocused. He frowned lightly and moved his gaze back to the candle and relaxed one muscle at a time.

Michiko's head snapped around as she heard a very soft snore from beside her and she grinned at the sight beside her. Hatori had fallen asleep while meditating. He was obviously not getting enough sleep in the course of things and he looked so sweet she couldn't bring herself to disturb him. She carefully spelled him onto the couch and tucked a pillow under his head and a light blanket over him before pulling a book out and settling in to read until Hatori woke up or she fell asleep.

Hours later a soft sigh sounded from the couch and Michiko grinned over at it, "Feeling better?"

Hatori sat up immediately and looked around, "Did I fall asleep?"

"You did. You should get more rest, Hatori-san. It's not good for you to wear yourself down."

He brushed her off, "I am fine. Do not concern yourself." He glanced at his watch and hurried to his feet. "You should not have let me sleep for so long."

"You needed it. Who am I to get in the way of someone taking care of themselves?" she returned easily. "You'll practice and we'll get together in a week or two?"

He nodded before letting himself out. Michiko cleared the candle and books and headed to bed to get some sleep.

----------

The next day Michiko was at the store and smiled when she spotted Tohru at the end of her aisle. Nate stayed a few aisles over and she pretended not to notice him hovering. "Hello, Tohru-chan."

The girl looked up and smiled in return, "Hello, Michiko-chan. Are you shopping for groceries? Of course you're shopping for groceries. You're at the grocery store."

Michiko's smile turned into a grin, "Just a quick trip. My cabinets are nearly bare and Haru, Kyou, and Yuki are coming over for dinner tonight after we spar. I'll do my regular shopping tomorrow or the next day. It's too bad you have to work tonight or you could come over with them. Maybe we can get together another night so we can all watch a movie or something."

"That would be so much fun." Tohru replied. "I really enjoyed last time even though we were all worried about you being hurt. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Me too. Speaking of last time you were all over, how are you and Kyou doing?"

"W-what do you mean? I think he's fine. I'm okay." she stuttered.

"The way you two were curled up says something's going on. Isn't there?"

"Oh, I don't know. We're friends. He's nice." she replied with a bright blush as she looked anywhere but at Michiko.

"He is very nice. And he seems to like you."

"R-really? I doubt it. He's so special and I'm just me."

"You're very special as well, Tohru. And I really think you two make a nice pair."

Tohru shook her head, "I don't think he thinks about me like that. I'm just Tohru. Not special at all."

"That's part of what makes you special. You don't even know what you do for the people around you."

"W-what?"

"You remind us of everything good in the world and you're such a good friend to all of us."

Tohru shook her head. "I just want to be a good friend because all of you are so good to me."

"Well, I think you and Kyou would do well as more than friends, but it's none of my business."

The other girl glanced away as she spoke, "I might think about Kyou as more than a friend sometimes but he would never see me that way and I don't have the courage to show him."

Michiko slipped an arm around her shoulders, "I think that if it's meant to be it will fall into place. When the time is right, you'll have the courage."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes. That's what happened with me. I was so scared of getting to know people but when I met Haru and then all of you it was all I wanted. I'm so glad all of you have come into my life."

Tohru smiled and returned the half hug, "I'm happy I have a chance to get to know you better."

"Maybe we'll get together just us girls one of these days."

"That would be a lot of fun. Maybe you'd like to meet Hana and Uo too." Tohru said before bowing quickly. "I better hurry or I'll be late for work. See you later, Michiko-chan."

Michiko returned the bow, "See you later, Tohru-chan."

After Tohru walked away Michiko caught Nate's eye, beckoned him over and dumped her stuff into his hands, "You may as well carry the groceries as stand around doing nothing."

He laughed at her but accepted the items and walked close to her while she finished up her shopping. She hoped they would catch the other gang soon so she could go back to not having to worry about someone following her around.

----------

Michiko stumbled to the door when someone started pounding on it. She had no idea what time it was or who it could be. The group had agreed to go home for a couple hours to rest before getting back to work. They had a high priority case and no one was getting much sleep while they all worked to fix it. Haru knew she was swamped and to not call until she called him. She yanked the door open and stared blearily at Kai as his worried frown changed to a laugh at her disheveled appearance.

"Can I come in?" he asked when she only stood there glaring at him.

She blinked slowly as she processed that before nodding and stepping back to give him some room. Once he was through the door she shut it and walked into the kitchen to make tea. She very nearly picked up her wand on the way by before realizing that would be a very bad thing.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he followed her.

"Tired. Need some tea." she responded as she started the kettle and got out her secret stash of super-caffeinated tea. She very rarely drank it because it was expensive but this was one of those times that it was necessary.

"Why are you so tired?"

"Work. Why do you ask so many questions so early in the morning?"

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon."

"Whatever." she replied before resting her head against the wall next to the stove and willing the water to hurry up already.

"You're quite the ray of sunshine in the morning, you know that?"

"We can't all be morning people. Name three people that are nice before tea when they've been working twenty hours a day for a week."

"Hmmm, me, myself, and I."

"Aren't you the comedian." she muttered as the kettle whistled. "Thank all the Gods in heaven."

Once tea was made they took a seat at the table and she propped her head up on one hand while she stirred in an ice cube. She was desperate for caffeine but didn't necessarily want to scald herself getting it. Yet.

"Where's Haru?" Kai asked conversationally as she had her first sip. It was hot but not intolerably so.

"No idea. I haven't been able to talk to him in a week. I hope we finish this project up soon."

"What are you working on?"

She was halfway through the cup and things were a little less fuzzy. That was probably just wishful thinking, but it got the job done. "It's classified. All I can say is if it wasn't important we wouldn't be running up the overtime. Poor Kishi is going to have a heart attack when she gets payroll next week." She paused for a moment before smiling, "But that dress will be paid for and I'll have a little money back in the bank."

He chuckled, "Did you spend all your savings on something pretty?"

"Not intentionally." she replied before finishing off the first and pouring her second. Kai hadn't even touched his so she left it alone. She glanced around and realized she hadn't gotten any snacks to go with the tea and went back to the kitchen. After several minutes of digging she found half a box of cookies stashed in the wrong cabinet and brought them out after making sure they weren't stale. "I'm sorry, I need to get to the store. I'm out of nearly everything."

"It's fine." he responded easily. "You haven't asked why I was pounding on your door yet."

"I didn't?" _I hope it's not because I keep slipping my tail on the way to work._ her tired brain managed.

"No." he replied before starting on his now cool tea.

She blinked a couple of times before realizing he wanted her to ask. Probably to make her admit something she didn't want to. "What brings you here Kai?"

"Strangest thing happened this morning."

"Oh?" she was pretty sure she hadn't done anything she didn't want to admit to this morning.

"The guys that attacked you and your friend turned up near our area."

She blinked as she waited for him to continue. When she realized he wasn't going to without further prompting she gulped her tea and poured another for them both. She wasn't awake enough yet to keep up with this. "And?"

"And they were acting very strange."

"Were they drunk?"

"No."

"High?"

"Not that we could tell."

"Injured?"

"Not where we could see."

"How were they acting?" Ah, the tea was finally kicking in and some of the cobwebs cleared. His put his hand over his cup when she picked up the pot again so she only poured for herself.

"Dazed. Confused. When we attacked them they dropped to the ground and curled up into the fetal position."

Michiko frowned as she thought about that, "Did you notice any unusual scents around them?"

He returned the frown as he thought about it for several minutes, "I remember smelling something sticky sweet. I don't know if it was them or not."

"Were they pale with bright pink on their cheeks?"

"Just pale."

Her frown deepened, "Did they say anything strange?"

"They were sorry."

"Is that strange when you have a group of people about to beat you up?"

"For these guys."

"Interesting. What did you do with them?"

"Dropped them off with the police with their signed confessions of all their misdeeds."

"That must have taken a long time to write."

"It did."

"Thank you. For taking care of them and for everything else."

He brushed back her messy hair, "It's our pleasure. Take care of yourself."

"I will." She glanced around as she finished her fourth cup of tea, "I should probably get back to work since I'm awake."

"All right. I should get back to the guys and let them know you're all right. They've been worried since you keep slipping your tail on the way to work. Be careful."

"I always am." she replied softly as she led him to the door and locked it after he left. She poured another cup of tea to drink while she cleaned up and dashed out the door half an hour later.


	9. Cursed

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 9 - Cursed

Haru slipped into Michiko's dark apartment on silent feet and ignored the wash of unease that hit him as soon as he closed the door. He knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, but for some reason he still felt uncomfortable. After brushing it aside he moved to the kitchen and pulled a small pad of paper and pen out of his pocket. Her "secret" stash of extra caffeinated tea was sitting out on the counter and that confirmed how tired she must be. He checked the cabinets and made a short list of essentials that his girl usually kept on hand as he thought about what had happened earlier with relief.

He and Kyou had gone to see the Yankees that morning to help look for the gang. It had been so strange the way they had dropped to the ground and curled up the moment they found them and the fight started. And the apologies they kept muttering were just over the top. He had never seen Yankees act that way, not that he was an expert on gang behavior, but he couldn't imagine any of the ones he'd met doing that. Even his friends had been puzzled by their odd behavior. Kyou had just been pissed because he'd been looking for a good fight to relieve his worry over Michiko, though he wouldn't admit it. They had helped with the confessions and both of them had spoken with the police when they dropped the Yankees off. The guys hadn't wanted to go into the station and Haru didn't blame them. They were, after all, Yankees. Haru decided the gang's strange behavior must be the result of some kind of spell and, considering what had happened the night before, he would bet money on Kishi being behind it.

_He was at home sitting in the dark on the porch and enjoying a beer. He didn't drink at home too often but he had wanted to sit in the quiet and think for a bit. The darkest part of the porch was next to Hatori's house, so when Kishi came running out of the trees and up Hatori's steps he had been curious why. He hadn't realized they'd spent enough time together that she would know where he lived and be comfortable coming over in the middle of the night. She knocked on the door and when Hatori answered she tugged him outside and around to the same side of the house that Haru was across from. At first, Haru thought they were going to start necking or something and he was going to have to move or be scarred__ for life but then she had started talking and captured the entirety of his attention._

"_Hatori, if anyone asks, I was with you all evening this evening." she had said breathlessly._

"_Why?" the doctor had asked with a quick glance around. Haru had stiffened, thinking he might have been seen but Hatori returned his attention to Kishi immediately._

"_I just was."_

"_If I'm going to lie for you I'm going to need to know why." he replied reasonably._

"_Please?"_

"_No."_

"_I'm trying to help Michiko. Please."_

"_Did you do something illegal?"_

"_Not exactly."_

"_Then what?"_

"_Won't you just trust me?"_

_Hatori gripped her shoulders firmly, "If you can't tell me why I'm lying, then I'm not going to do it."_

"_Can you keep a secret?"_

_He rested a hand on her forehead for a moment then checked her pulse, "Your temperature seems to be fine, though your pulse is elevated. As my patient I cannot repeat anything you tell me."_

"_There are things about me you don't know and I'm not quite ready to tell you. I'm not like other people and I used that to do something to the Yankees that attacked Michiko."_

"_Are they dead?" he asked very calmly._

"_No! Nothing like that. Just . . . know that they've been taken care of. They won't be bothering anyone again."_

"_How can you be sure?"_

_She smiled, "I did my research."_

_Hatori considered her for several moments before nodding, "We stayed in and watched movies. I had to see Akito for about an hour, but you cooked us dinner while you waited. Momiji was with Kisa and Hiro so he didn't see you, but I'm sure Haru saw you cooking from his kitchen."_

_Hatori had seen him after all. Haru sighed as he realized if the doctor had seen him he had seen his beer and he would be getting another talk about drinking while he was underage._

_Kishi spoke, "Are you sure we should tell him?"_

"_If it involves Michiko, he'll want to help. I'll speak with him in the morning." Hatori replied quietly. "Why don't we go inside and watch that movie?"_

_Kishi tiptoed to kiss his cheek and let herself in. Hatori looked at Haru with a raised brow and the teen nodded and poured the rest of his beer into the bushes. Once that was done, Hatori went inside and he let out a sigh of relief as the lecture was put off for the night. He was curious why Hatori didn't tell Kishi he had been sitting right there but decided his reasons were his own._

After Haru had finished at the station he returned to the warehouse district and hadn't been able to avoid the quick twist of jealousy when Kai said he's spoken with Michiko earlier. She had told him she would contact him when she had some free time but somehow she'd been able to find time to talk with Kai. After he had explained the condition she had been in Haru had felt better about the situation, but missed her company and hoped she would call him soon. When Kai mentioned she told him she was out of everything, Haru decided to do a little shopping for her so she wouldn't starve while her boss was working her to half to death.

Once the list was finished Haru slipped back out the door and headed to the store. Luckily it was right down the street so he didn't have to worry about getting lost. Once done, he slipped back into the apartment and put everything away before sticking a note to Michiko on the tea canister.

----------

"Michiko-san?"

Michiko glanced up from where she was putting her key in the lock and smiled at the girl that lived next door. "It's Akira, isn't it?"

She ducked her head a little, "Yes. I just wanted to ask if you were all right?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" the older girl replied.

"Hatsuharu has been tense lately and I thought it might be because something happened between you."

"No. Just some things going on and I've been working a lot of overtime for the last week."

The girl nodded, "I'm glad nothing's wrong."

"Thank you for worrying. If you see him today would you tell him I said hello?"

"Of course. I better get going or I'm going to be late." the girl replied before heading for the staircase.

Michiko shook her head as she let herself in and checked the wards. She knew the Yankees were in jail but it was habit. When they flared red she tensed and dropped into a crouch. Someone had been inside her apartment since she left. She cautiously flicked a few lamps on and didn't see anyone in the living room or dining area. Silent feet took her to the kitchen and no one was there either. She almost missed the note stuck to the tea but her tired brain registered it at the last instant and she walked over to it curiously.

_M,_

_Heard you were hungry so picked up a few things for you. Hope you finish that project soon so I don't have to miss you for much longer. Take care of yourself._

_Always,_

_H_

She smiled softly at the note and pulled it carefully off the tea canister to take to her room and stick to the lampshade next to her bed so she'd see it when she woke up. _How did I get so lucky? Was everything that happened just to get me here? If so, I think I can live with it._ She sighed happily as she went back to the kitchen and fixed herself some dinner. A quick glance at the clock told her it was nearly eight o'clock in the morning. Her internal clock was so confused that she wasn't sure if it would ever go back to normal. She should have realized how late it was when she saw Akira headed out to school. While she cooked she thought about Haru's gift, still tucked away in a drawer in her bedroom, and she thought she might work on it while she ate. It was harder than she thought to charm a cell phone to run without a battery.

----------

Haru hurried up the staircase. He wanted to surprise Michiko by taking her out to breakfast since this was her first day off in two weeks. He hadn't seen her since the first day of classes at Kaibara; the same day he found out she could do magic and change her appearance. According to the text she sent him around two that morning, right as his phone died, some high level magical guy had been speaking backwards for the last three weeks and it had taken her team two to find the spell and create a counter for it. He shook his head. Having a girlfriend that could do actual magic was kind of odd. He wondered if the Zodiac curse was some kind of spell and that if he told her about it she would be able to remove it. He wasn't quite ready for that step but it was something that kept circling his mind.

He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. The door opened and he smiled at her as she welcomed him inside. "Good morning. I thought we could go out to breakfast since this is your first day off and I know you don't have any food left in the kitchen."

Her face broke into a wide smile and she hugged him impulsively. "That's so sweet of you Haru-kun!" she said in a rush before there was a poof and a cloud of smoke.

She looked around, realizing that he was no longer in her arms and there was an ox standing in her living room. "I didn't know you were an animagus? Have you been keeping secrets from me?" she asked teasingly. She frowned, "I'm sorry. You didn't have to transform to get away from me. I was just so happy that I forgot the no hugging rule. Please don't be angry."

The ox cocked its head at her, "I have no idea what an animagus is but that's not why I transformed. I'll transform back in a couple of minutes."

"Well if you're not an animagus, then why do you look like an ox?" she asked.

There was a poof and when the smoke cleared she was looking at a naked Haru. She yelped as she spun around. "Did you know you weren't going to have any clothes on? You could have warned me!"

She listened as he put his clothes back on, "Are you decent?" she asked after a couple moments.

"Yes." he replied tensely. She turned around and saw he had his pants and shirt on, but the shirt wasn't buttoned yet. She took a moment to appreciate the view before looking into his face. He was smiling at her, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Rather." She stepped over to him and kissed the corner of his mouth. "I really am sorry. I was so pleased with the idea of going to breakfast with you that I forgot the no hugging rule. I'm guessing that's why you have it?"

He nodded but did not speak. Haru was at a loss. He didn't want to bring Akito into his relationship but if he told her he would have to tell him too. And who knew what he'd do then. Michiko correctly interpreted the look on his face and reached up to cup his cheek, "I won't ask, you don't need to explain, and I certainly won't tell."

He nodded appreciatively, "That works well for me."

"So, is the offer for breakfast still open?" she asked.

He smiled, "Yeah. I know you haven't been to the store in weeks and what I picked up has to be gone by now. I thought I'd keep you company for grocery shopping too if you want."

"That sounds wonderful. And then we can have a movie day after shopping?"

"Sure. You owe me at least two movie nights anyway." he replied seriously. "Are you ready to go?"

She smiled and grabbed her purse, "I am now. Let's go."

He tugged her out the door and down to the nearest pastry shop. He had discovered she had a real sweet tooth in the morning and felt like indulging her. The smile he got when they walked into the shop told him it was the right choice.

"So, what have you been up to while I've been at work?" Michiko asked once they had sat down with their breakfast.

He shrugged, "Nothing much. I kept an eye on Kisa a couple of times, picked a fight with Kyou, hung out with Yuki and Momiji. The usual."

"How have classes been?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Boring as usual."

"Is there anyway you can get moved to a higher grade or more advanced classes?" she asked curiously.

"Maybe, but why bother?" he asked.

"So you can finish early and move on to college or whatever your next step is? What do you want to do after high school?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm not sure I want to spend more time in school and nothing I've learned about or done has caught my interest enough want to do it for the rest of my life."

"Well, you've got plenty of time to decide." she replied.

"How did you get into spell research, anyway? Did you wake up one morning and decide it sounded like fun?" he asked curiously.

"Not exactly. I always did really well on the research assignments for class and one of my teachers did freelance research. She let me help her a few times and I really enjoyed it. She introduced me to a man she worked with often and he hired me right out of school."

"Hmmm. It would be nice to be done with school sooner rather than later." he mused. "Maybe I will look into it. Of course, then I'd have to pay attention to the teacher instead of daydream about you."

Michiko smiled at him, "I'm sure you'd be able to manage both if you really wanted to."

"Something interesting did happen about a week ago." he murmured.

"What?"

"I was sitting on the porch and your boss visited Hatori. She was in need of an alibi."

Michiko's brows shot up, "Really? This was right before you caught the Yankees?"

He nodded. "That evening she was at Hatori's watching movies and cooked dinner while he treated Akito. I saw her from my kitchen window."

"Dazed, confused, sticky sweet smell, pale but no red in their cheeks, apologizing, dropping into the fetal position . . . ." Her eyes unfocused as she considered several possibilities and Haru watched her quietly until her eyes returned to him, "I might know what happened. I'll have to ask her about it."

"What do you think she did?"

"It's either a potion or a very powerful memory modification. Possibly both, but that might be overkill." She cleared the trash from the table. "Ready to go shopping?" she asked.

He nodded and followed her out the door. "Are we going to spar today?"

She considered the question for a moment before sadly shaking her head, "I'm too tired to do very well."

"That's all right. I'll let Yuki and Kyou know you're not up to it yet and we'll get together when you're less tired." he replied as they stepped into the store.

Once the shopping was done he helped her put everything away and make tea. They had movies to catch up on and he had brought along several new ones for her to watch. He didn't intend to leave until late Sunday at the earliest. He had missed her terribly. They snuggled together as the movie played.

"Mi-chan?" Haru murmured quietly. She had fallen asleep shortly after the movie began and started talking.

"Hmm?" she muttered before snapping awake and looking around in confusion. "Haru-kun?"

"You fell asleep. Who were you talking to?" he asked as he ran a hand down her back.

She frowned, "I keep having a dream about some red-haired woman. She said she's my sister, but I don't have one."

"What does she want?"

"To find me."

"Why?"

Michiko shrugged, "No idea. I'll have to ask next time. It's getting kind of annoying really."

"Maybe you should tell her where you are, then she'll go away." he responded.

"No, I don't like the idea of telling someone I don't know where I live." she replied.

"Then tell her to go away." he said with a smile.

"I might just." she said as she returned his grin. "So what's the plan?"

"Easy. I'm staying here until Sunday night. We'll cook, watch movies, and hang out. Maybe even neck a bit." he said with a sly smile.

"What will Hatori think?" she murmured.

He shrugged, "I want to be here, not there. I hate going to the compound. It's not a happy place and I don't like being there."

She nodded and smiled up at him, "Then you should definitely stay here."

"So, about that necking?" he murmured as he pulled her carefully into his lap. She allowed him to manhandle her with a bright giggle before she brought her lips down to his.

----------

"Have you been practicing?" Michiko asked Hatori as they settled themselves on the floor to begin another lesson.

"When I have time."

"Are you able to sense energy fields?"

"I was able to sense Shigure's after I knocked him out."

"You knocked him out?"

"He wouldn't be quiet so I could concentrate."

She smiled a little, "I can see where that would make it difficult. Can you sense mine?"

He closed his eyes and reached slowly towards her face. When his hands were centimeters away from her cheeks he slowly started moving them away. "There's the edge of the physical." He moved them again, "Here's emotional."

She reached up and moved his hands inward, "That's emotional. Where you were is mental."

He opened his eyes and studied her for a moment before closing them again and shifting his hands back and forth between the three points as he tried to pinpoint the emotional range. "Why is the emotional layer so hard to find?"

She quirked a brow, which he didn't see, and spoke lightly, "Perhaps you are out of touch with your emotions so it makes it difficult for you to see them in others."

His eyes snapped open and he removed his hands. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because usually the emotional layer is very easy to find. People are emotional creatures and they put off powerful feelings. Except for you. You are very calm and logical. Perhaps that is what interferes with your seeing my field."

"Or perhaps I am merely distracted by Akito's latest illness and my inability to cure it."

"What are his symptoms?"

"Ear infection, inflammation of his hands, nausea, fatigue." he listed.

She looked down at her hands for a long moment before looking at him steadily, "Has he had these symptoms before?"

Hatori nodded, "He had similar complaints in early March."

Her gaze hardened, "How's Kyou?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?"

"The others? Haru? Yuki? Momiji?"

"Fine."

She studied him closely before moving her hands over his energy fields slowly. "You distracted him, didn't you? Turned his attention towards yourself?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You've not been feeling well?" She reached out and gently pushed his sleeve up to expose a painful looking rash, "How long have you had this rash? Is it itching, burning, or both?"

He stilled completely as he looked at her, "Why do you ask?"

"A skin rash like this is a sign that someone or thing is making you very angry or frustrated. If Akito hurt Kyou and wants to do it again maybe you distracted him and you're tired of being in the same situation?"

"What makes you think Akito did anything to Kyou?"

"His symptoms occurred at the same time Kyou was injured and are indicative of doing some form of harm to someone."

"How so?"

"Ear infections can be manifestations of allowing your anger to unbalance you. Inflammation in the hands is a sign of handling things you should not in a way that's not good for anyone. Nausea and fatigue are signs of being tired of a situation and wanting to be rid of it. Maybe he's tired of treating his family this way but is afraid they will reject him even if he tries to change."

Hatori studied her for several moments before turning his attention to his hands, "Shall we continue or would you like to discuss your symptoms?"

She smiled a little, "I only said something because I care. Hint taken, but I'll tell you the same thing I told Haru and Yuki. If I get wind of any more underage children being hurt, we will have a problem and you won't like how it's resolved."

"I'll tell you the same thing I'm sure they told you. Our family business is private." he responded.

"Not when it hurts those unable to defend themselves. You of all people should understand where I'm coming from."

"I understand, but we take care of our own."

"Hence your energy lessons."

"Correct."

"So long as we know where we stand." They held each other's gaze for a long moment before she smiled and held up her hands. "Find my fields."

He put his hands on either side of hers and they began again. "Symptoms haven't been in any of the books you've given me."

"They're going home with you this afternoon. You have to see before you can diagnose."

"Very well."

The continued the lesson and spoke easily as they went. When it was done Hatori deliberated for a long moment before pushing his sleeve up and exposing his rash. "Can you heal this?"

"Of course. It will keep coming back, but I can relieve the symptoms for a while." she replied as she rested a hand on his forearm.

"When will I learn how to do that?"

She shrugged, "Whenever you're ready it will happen. This is a bit different from what you're learning right now. Anyone can do this and help people. Not everyone is able to harness it enough to actually knit tissues and repair damage. I see potential in you, which is why I agreed to teach you."

"I thought it was because I was Haru's physician."

"That's part of it, but only a small part. Potential is most important, otherwise we're wasting our time."

"How old were you when you learned you could heal with energy?"

"Ten." came the quiet reply.

"I don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"You said the Yankee taught you how to put in stitches and it took you a lot longer than that to learn you could heal with energy."

"It only took a few tries for me to figure out how to learn to put in stitches but years before I figured out energy healing and I had to be very motivated for it to work. I already knew how to use energy when I met Kai but I couldn't use it in front of him. I was afraid he'd turn me out if he saw what I could do. My father was very angry when he saw me after I did it the first time."

"I see. What about your grandfather? Haru mentioned he taught you martial arts. Why didn't he do anything to help you?"

"I don't think he ever knew how bad it was. My father was careful and made it clear things would be a lot worse if I told anyone."

He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm glad you're doing so well. Most people in your situation would have a very hard time being touched."

"I still do sometimes. I can't stand strangers touching me unless we're sparring and I sometimes I react badly when people sneak up on me."

"That is understandable."

"It's been six years since anything has happened and it was only bad for a couple. I like your family. It's like I've known all of you forever and I'm comfortable."

"I think it's the same for them as well. I've noticed since you arrived Haru is much happier, as is Kyou."

She smiled brightly, "I'm happier, too."

"I should get back to the main house."

Michiko went to the table and picked up a large stack of books. "Here's your homework."

"All of these?" he asked.

"They have a lot of the same information but each has a few extra bits since they're from different writers and everyone thinks about energy healing differently."

"When's our next lesson?"

"Whenever you have time. Keep practicing on your own. If you get stuck let me know."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Anything for the Sohma family." she replied as she ushered him out the door. Once he was gone she leaned against the door for a moment and just breathed. Sometimes it was so hard to keep up the cheerful façade in front of people. Especially when she spoke of her past. _It's over and done with and you don't need to think on it any more. If something happens to them you'll take care of it and _she_ won't be involved. You're past all that._

----------

The next day Michiko was at work and caught Kishi's eye. The older woman nodded slowly and they headed into her office. Once they were seated Kishi looked over at Michiko and smiled. "What can I do for you, Michiko-chan?"

"I was wondering where you got the potion without it being traced?" she asked without preamble.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, all innocence.

"They smelled sweet and were acting very strange. The only thing I can think of is that you used a highly regulated potion to make their minds more susceptible to your memory charm."

"I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about."

"You also needed an alibi."

"Not following you."

Michiko gave her an exasperated look, "Kishi-sama, you know very well and I know there is no way anyone could possibly hear inside this room with all the spells you know."

Kishi considered for a moment before nodding once. "Don't worry about how I got it just that it worked."

"Are you certain they won't trace it back to you?"

"Of course. They won't even be looking for it since you didn't report what happened to the authorities. Or at least the authorities that would be watching for something like this. Why is that, by the way?"

Michiko shrugged, "To what end? They were Muggle Yankees and belong in a Muggle jail. That's all that would have happened even if I report it."

"True." Kishi allowed.

Michiko hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Caring enough to do something about it."

Kishi smiled at her, "What are friends for?"

"I'm still learning." she replied quietly as she stood.

Kishi stood as well and walked over to give the girl a quick hug. "You're doing fine."

"Because of all of you."

"So long as you're doing well, who cares why?"

"I suppose." Michiko replied before returning to her desk and her latest project.

----------

"Hello, Kat. What are you doing out so late by yourself?" Michiko said when she spotted the girl. She had gone looking for her when the matching necklace she wore had warmed up to let her know she needed her. The girl looked down but didn't reply.

"Would it be okay if we talked using a special method, Kat? I'm very worried about you being out alone so late and would like to know what happened."

Kat looked up at her nervously before nodding slowly.

"Okay. I need you to keep eye contact with me, all right? See what you want me to know in your mind's eye and I'll see it to. Do you understand?"

She maintained eye contact and Michiko took that to mean yes. She silently incanted the spell to allow them to access each other's minds and focused on a whiteboard with the message, "Are you okay, Kat?"

The girl's eyes narrowed as she concentrated on her own message, "I got lost. I went for a walk after school and I don't know how to get back."

"I'll walk you back to the school and then home." Michiko wrote before breaking the connection and holding her hand out to the girl. Once she had it they started walking towards the school.

"Here we are. Now you lead the way home and I'll keep you company."

Kat led her down the street and they walked to the outskirts of town. They finally stopped in front of a set of gates at the edge of the same woods Shigure's house was built against. Kat looked expectantly up at her and it took Michiko a few moments to realize she wanted to say something. She initiated the connection and saw Kat's message.

"Thank you."

"Any time, sweetie. You better get in there so your mother knows you're all right. I'll see you later." She broke the connection and smiled at the girl.

Kat hugged her before walking through the gates. Michiko watched from outside the gates until she turned a corner and was out of sight. She walked a little ways away before Apparating home. She had a project to work on.

----------

Once she got home, Michiko made a pot of tea and pulled over a stack of books. _I know I've seen something about a curse and the Zodiac. I wonder if that's what's going on with the Sohma family? What book was it in?_ She looked through all of the likely books she had on hand before Apparating to the archives to keep looking.

It took a week of solid searching in the dustiest archives before Michiko hit the jackpot. She had been cross-referencing everything she could find about hugging, animals of the zodiac, and transformation. Finally she found it in an obscure book – the Jyuunishi curse. It told the story of the animals in the Chinese zodiac and about how the rat played a trick on the cat and took advantage of the ox.

The spirit of each zodiac symbol possessed a member of the cursed family for a total of fourteen possessed individuals if you include the god-spirit which was not always present. If they were hugged by a person of the opposite sex that was not cursed they would transform into their animal spirit – except for the god-spirit. The book told about how the family had a longstanding tradition of shunning the cat and then locking him or her into a room once they had come of age, mostly because the cat was not exactly human. It had another form that was kept at bay by Juzu beads. _Oh, Kyou. No wonder you're so lonely and so angry all the time. Who wouldn't be with a life like that? Well, don't worry. I won't let them put you in a box._

The book said only true love and acceptance would break the curse and _when one who was never loved is loved, that ancient promise nears the end._ Michiko took a moment to wonder what the promise was before continuing. It also alluded to the fact that the curse could not be broken unless all fourteen spirits were present. _Well, that certainly makes it difficult to break. Especially if all of the god-spirits have been so hard on the others. True love is hard enough to find without heaping physical, mental, and emotional abuse into the mix._ Especially in the cat's case. She had seen how all of the Sohmas treated Kyou with a casual disregard that was not at all conducive to creating any type of healthy relationship. And locking him in a room alone when he comes of age? Not helping. Her head snapped up. _Or trying to lock him up early and make sure he can't run away. _she thought as she remembered the day she had gotten him out of the little house and healed his ankle. _Bastards. You'll pay for that I promise._

That left only two options. One, the family head had no idea that the curse could be broken or what it takes to do so. Or two, he knew and worked specifically to prevent it. From what Michiko had overheard of Akito, especially his visit to the school at the beginning of the month and the symptoms she and Hatori had discussed, she would put her money on knowing and not wanting it broken. _What a sad way to live your life, spending all of your time trying to ruin other people's lives so they stay close to you. _

She tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the open book and considered what she had discovered and what she could do to help. She was especially worried about Kyou since his destiny appeared to be alone in a small room. _Perhaps if I made a charm that Kyou could use to call me if he needed me? I wouldn't be able to tell him that it was magic, but perhaps if I presented it as a gift and made it a bit sentimental? He's not really much for sentiment, but if I can think of the right way to present it, perhaps it will work?_

She put away all of the other books and took the one with the information on the curse with her. She Apparated as close to home as she dared and hurried inside. Three days later she had finished the charm for a necklace for Kyou and finally finished Haru's gift as well, which she had been working on for over a month now.


	10. A Little Misunderstanding

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 10 – A Little Misunderstanding

Haru and Michiko were sitting on her couch, watching a movie they had already seen and chatting about their week, when Michiko decided to give Haru the gift she had finally finished the other night.

"Have you wondered why you keep running into me when you're lost and irritated about it?" she asked.

"A little. Why?"

She reached out to finger the necklace he had let her wear a while ago, "Remember when you let me wear your necklace for the day?"

He nodded.

"Well, I asked to wear that specific one because you always play with it when you're agitated. I charmed it while I had it so that if you handled it and were irritated I would be called to you. I picked up something for you too. I hope you like it." she fetched a small box and handed it to him.

"What's the occasion?"

She smiled, "You."

He smiled back at her and opened it. Inside was a cell phone. He looked up at her questioningly.

"It's charmed so that it doesn't run on a battery. It was difficult to get it to work since magic and electronics are generally incompatible, but I was finally able to adapt a spell to make it work. It has GPS and I added all the places you go to the most. In case you're lost and I can't get to you right away."

He looked from her to the phone and back before smiling softly. "Thanks."

She smiled and gave him a kiss that quickly turned serious. When they broke apart she hummed in pleasure before smiling at him and cupping his cheek. "I love you."

He pulled her forward for a tender kiss, "I love you too."

"Do you want to walk around and add the places I missed?" she asked.

"Later." he replied as he tugged her close for another kiss.

----------

Michiko woke up and held still, trying to figure out what had pulled her from sleep. After a moment, she realized she could hear someone else breathing. She cautiously stretched a hand out under the blankets but didn't encounter anyone. She slit her eyes open and looked around the room. Still no one. She remembered that Hatori had come by to pick up Haru so he could keep an eye on his younger cousins. Haru been very firm when he refused her offer to keep him company while he was babysitting. Hatori hadn't said anything either way but she got the feeling he had been relieved she had stayed away.

She sat up cautiously and looked around the room for some hint of who was there and why. Her wand was in the drawer next to the bed so she couldn't get it out without attracting attention. As her gaze travelled down she caught sight of a strange shoe on the floor next to her bed. She leaned over and saw the shoe belonged to Kyou, who was curled up on the floor asleep. She tilted her head as she tried to figure out why on earth he was sleeping on the floor in her room and decided it would be simpler to just ask.

She reached down and scratched his head lightly until he stirred. "Little brother, what are you doing on my floor?"

He looked up at her and she could see tear tracks on his cheeks. She pushed the blankets back and reached back down to drag him onto the bed. He allowed her to manhandle him onto the edge of it, which really scared her. Kyou was not one to allow anyone to do that and he was usually very particular about being touched. He'd seemed fine when they finally got together to spar earlier that week. Both he and Yuki had expressed their relief that the Yankees were behind bars. Kyou had looked especially pleased and had told her about what happened while Yuki and Haru sparred in the other room. She was surprised at how disappointed he was that he didn't get to fight with anyone.

Once he was settled on the bed she sat Indian-style next to him and wrapped her arm around his in a tight hold. He stiffened but then relaxed, probably realizing she wasn't going to do anything that would make him transform. She wrapped her hands around his, "Kyou, what's going on?"

He answered in a low and pain-filled voice, "I had to see Akito today."

"What did he say to you?"

"The usual. I tried to ignore it, but after awhile it's just believable. Especially when you're sitting there all alone with nothing between you and him. It hurt so much more this time though because I've been happier. I have Tohru and you and haven't been so alone. But I can't help but worry that you two will see me for the monster I am and leave." he paused then continued in a barely audible voice, "I don't think I could survive if you did."

"We'll never leave you, Kyou. You are my little brother and you're stuck with me forever. I know Tohru cares about you a great deal and will be at your side if you allow it."

"But what if I'm not always here?"

Michiko knew to what he was referring. She released him and moved so she could kneel in front of him and look into his eyes. "Please trust that if you weren't here we would track you down and bring you home again. Speaking of, I got you something for your birthday. I know it's rather late, but I saw it and thought it was perfect for you." She went across the room and dug around her jewelry box before pulling out a fine chain with a round pendant that had a symbol for home engraved on it. She brought it over and held it up for him to examine.

"What would I do with a necklace that says 'home'?"

She put it around his neck before answering. "It's to remind you that you always have a home where you are encircled by those that love you. No matter what anyone else says. All you have to do is take it in your hands and think about your family and we will be with you immediately."

Kyou took this metaphorically, while she meant it quite literally. "I mean it, Kyou. Try it next time you're feeling we're too far away."

The pendant was charmed so that if he was holding it she would be alerted by a matching pendant she wore and she would immediately be able to Apparate to wherever he was through the link. The charm went both ways but unless you were magical there wasn't anything you could do about it. From what she could tell it would warm up if she was upset, but that was the only thing Kyou would notice. It was also charmed so that anyone with ill intent – in his eyes, not theirs – could not see it, so they would not try to remove it. The chain was unbreakable and only Kyou could remove it, so she didn't want anyone going to desperate measures to get it off of him. Not seeing it was best all around. It would also expand with the wearer so if he transformed it would accommodate the change in neck size. It was the best she could do to make sure Kyou didn't end up in the damn box. There was no wayshe was going to let that happen to her little brother!

"Thank you." he said quietly.

She sat next to him and gave him a one armed hug, "You are very welcome, little brother." She glanced at the clock. It was only about 1 a.m. Way too early to start the day. "You want some pajamas and you can crash here tonight?"

He looked at her oddly. "I'm not wearing the ushi's pajamas!"

She goggled at him for a moment before laughing. "He doesn't have any clothes over here. Jeez, we're not quite that far along in our relationship. I have some old sweats that would probably fit you. Hot pink, I think . . ." she trailed off at his horrified expression. "I'm only kidding. They're black, and would be more comfortable than what you're wearing. I have a t-shirt you can use too."

"Okay."

She could tell he was still upset by the fact that was the only argument he put up. She dug out the clothes and pointed him to the bathroom. She put the blankets back to rights and grabbed a couple extra pillows to put down the middle of the bed, and then waited for him to come back out of the bathroom.

When he did he went to go back to the floor but she cleared her throat and patted the bed next to her. "You are not sleeping on the floor. This bed is plenty big enough and there's now a pillow barrier so you don't have to worry."

He opened his mouth and then changed his mind and closed it, deciding he still wasn't up to winning an argument with her and the bed really did look more comfortable than the floor. He climbed under the covers facing away from her and felt her run a hand down the back of his head.

"There is a reason they say love cures all wounds. Remember that. Good night, Kyou-kun." He grunted in response and she smiled as she turned out the lights.

When they woke up Kyou was holding her hand on top of the pillow barrier. _Guess he's still not feeling too secure with his place in the world_, Michiko thought as she gave his hand a squeeze. He opened his eye a slit and saw their clasped hands. He nearly fell out of bed trying to back up and take his hand away.

Michiko raised an eyebrow, "Would you relax? For a neko you're awfully uptight." She shook her head and hopped out of bed, intent on a shower before the day started. She grinned evilly when she heard Kyou crash into the door on his way out when he heard the water turn on. _Honestly. The bathroom door is shut and locked._

Twenty minutes later she was in the kitchen making tea and breakfast and he was waiting in the dining room. She poked her head out and looked at him, "Little brother, do you want to spar with me this morning?"

He looked up at her, "After breakfast?"

"Of course." She placed a glass of milk in front of him and got a rare smile in return.

They ate breakfast in companionable silence then headed for the dojo for some exercise. After warms ups they started sparring but his guard kept dropping and she kept scoring points. Finally she called a halt. Michiko reached out and laced her fingers with his, "Kyou-kun, are you still upset about yesterday?"

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong." he growled.

"That's obviously not true. You were holding my hand when we woke up this morning and you're very distracted now. You know I love you, Kyou-kun, won't you talk to me?"

----------

Haru finally spotted the dojo and decided to see if anyone was available to spar with. Michiko hadn't answered the phone when he called so she must have gotten called into work. He stepped inside and heard voices from the back room.

As he drew near he saw the door was not quite closed and Michiko and Kyou were holding hands. He got a little closer and heard Michiko say that Kyou had been holding her hand when they woke up this morning and she loved him. Then everything went Black and he slammed into the room hard enough to startle the pair. Michiko released Kyou's hand, which in Haru's mind made her look all the guiltier of what he suspected.

She smiled at him tentatively, "Good morning, Haru-kun."

He glared darkly at her before walking over to Kyou and punching him in the face. That ticked Kyou off and started a vicious fight. Michiko was so surprised that at first she couldn't move. She watched as Haru pinned Kyou to the floor and started punching him repeatedly – as hard as he could.

That snapped her out of her shock and she moved towards them. She spared a thought for the punch she was certain she was going to receive and started trying to pull them apart. They rolled and Kyou gained his feet again. Michiko took the opportunity to step between them and got hit in the cheek hard enough to send her flying.

She looked up at them, a bit dazed, as they stared at her. Then, almost simultaneously, they turned back to each other and yelled, "You hit her!" and started pummeling each other again. _What the hell is going on?_ she thought to herself.

"Please, stop! Why are you fighting like this?" she yelled. They ignored her and continued blaming each other for hitting her. Finally, she snapped. She stomped over to them and, with a little magical assistance that was unnoticed by both boys, shoved them both into the wall. Hard.

Once she had their attention she spoke, "It's MY fault for getting hit. I stepped between two fighting people and I expected that would happen. Now, what on earth has gotten into you, Haru-kun?"

He gave her a black look before standing up and looking down at her. "What's gotten into me? The question is what's gotten into you? Or should I say _who_?"

She stared at him for a moment trying to process what he was saying. "You think- Are you-" She shook her head. "What?"

"Don't insult my intelligence. The door wasn't closed all the way and I heard what you said to Kyou. Don't stand there and pretend you weren't holding his hand and declaring your love for him that day after you said the same thing to me!"

She stared with her mouth hanging open for a moment before snapping it shut. "You think that we . . .?"

"Are you going to try to tell me otherwise? I don't have to listen to this crap." he said and started to stomp out of the room.

Michiko ran after him and blocked the door. "Haru, please listen to me."

"Why would I listen to a whore like you?" he asked coldly.

Michiko felt like she had been slapped. She could feel tears gathering behind her eyes.

"You have no argument, I see."

"You really think that?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. I've seen you two sneaking around." He threw the cell phone she had given him on the floor. "Stay away from me." he tossed over his shoulder.

Michiko stared at his retreating back for a moment longer before crumpling into a heap.

Kyou was finally able to shake off his shock and went over to where she was rocking and crying. He had no idea what had just happened. _Sneaking around? With Michiko? Gross. She's like a sister for crying out loud._

Sighing, he gathered the crying girl up and carried her home. Once he got her there, he wasn't sure what to do so he put her on the bed and tucked a blanket around her. He sat on the bed next to her and rubbed her back like she did with him when he was upset. Several hours later, she was still crying and he was at a loss of what to do.

Tohru was out with Hana and Uo so Kyou decided to call Shigure's and see if anyone had any suggestions. He dug out his phone and dialed the number.

After several rings he was about to hang up when Shigure answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I need help. Come over to Michiko's now and bring Yuki with you." Kyou demanded.

Shigure's voice was laced with concern, "What's wrong?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Hurry up." he clicked off and sat down on the bed next to Michiko again so he could rub her back while he waited for the other two to arrive. A little while later there was a knock on the door. Kyou got up and let the pair in.

"What's wrong with Michiko?" Yuki asked at once, feeling vaguely uneasy. It was like someone had dropped ice down his spine.

Kyou blushed, "It's stupid."

"What's stupid?" Shigure asked, also feeling uneasy and unusually subdued because of it.

"Haru thinks Michiko and I . . ." Kyou trailed off uncomfortably.

Yuki tilted his head curiously while Shigure's eyes got very wide. "You naughty-" was as far as he got before Kyou had him against the wall by the throat.

"Do NOT finish that thought." he growled. Shigure held his hands up in surrender and Kyou let him go.

"Why would he think that?" Yuki asked curiously.

Kyou rolled his eyes. "It's complicated. He saw and heard some things and he took them the wrong way. She's family. I don't think of her that way."

"So, why did you ask us to come over?" Yuki asked quietly.

Kyou indicated helplessly towards the bedroom, "She's crying. She has been for hours. I don't know what to do to help."

"I'll sit with her for a little while. Why don't you take a break?" Yuki offered. He thought it would be good to get some information from her before he went home as Haru would likely be looking for him soon.

He walked quietly into the bedroom and pulled a chair up to the bed. "Miss Sato?" he asked gently.

Her head lifted and tear-filled eyes opened to look at him. "Yuki-san?" she asked.

Only years of suppressing his emotions kept him from gaping at the bruise on her cheek. _She should know better than to get between those two by now. _He reached over and rested a hand on hers, something he had seen Tohru do often when someone was upset. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Welcome to my home, Yuki-san. I shouldn't. At least not to you. I know you and Haru are close and I don't want you to get stuck in the middle."

Yuki sat up straight as the odd uneasy feeling vanished. "Don't worry about that Sato-san. Won't you please talk to me?"

She sighed. "There isn't much to say. He thinks Kyou and I are . . . involved, I guess is the word for it, but that's silly. Kyou is part of my family. I care about him a great deal, but not the same way I care about Haru." Tears started falling again, "I guess Haru didn't care about me like I thought he did."

"Why do you say that?" Yuki asked.

"He called me a whore and didn't even give me a chance to explain anything. If he really cared, he'd at least let me explain before judging me."

Yuki's eyes got very wide, "He called you . . . that? But why?"

"He misunderstood something he heard me say to Kyou." she replied.

Yuki studied her for a moment, "You do realize that part of the problem is that neither of you are willing to clarify exactly what he misunderstood or why, don't you?"

"I would have, but he didn't even give me a chance, so what's the point now?" she snapped.

"I want to help both of you." he pointed out.

She sighed again. "I know. I'm sorry. I think I've just had enough of this day. I'm going to go to sleep. You guys don't need to worry about me, okay? I'll be fine. Go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a school day."

Yuki rested his hand on her forehead for a moment before walking out of the room thoughtfully. Kyou and Shigure looked up at him when he walked back into the living room. "She's going to sleep. She said she would be fine and that we can go home."

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Kyou asked.

Yuki shrugged, "I don't know. I think she'll be okay. We can check on her again tomorrow if you like."

"I'll swing by before classes start." Kyou replied with a curt nod. He got up and walked with them towards the door.

"What about locking up?" Yuki asked.

Kyou pulled a key out of his pocket, "Taken care of." He locked the door and checked to make sure it was secure before turning back to the others.

He saw their surprised faces, "We gonna stand here all night?" He started walking. They followed but kept shooting glances his way. "What? She gave me a key a while ago in case I wanted to talk or needed some peace and quiet."

Shigure raised a brow at him, "Does Haru know you have that key? And does he have one too?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask." Kyou said defensively. "She gave it to me one day when I came over after having a bad morning. Told me I could use it anytime. This is only the second time I've used it."

"When was the first time?" Shigure asked.

"Last night." he said shortly.

"Why?"

Kyou growled, "Because I spent half the day with Akito and needed to talk to someone that doesn't care that I'm the Cat."

"Ah." was all the response they had to that.

An uneventful walk later and Yuki went directly up to his room, figuring Haru should be there by now. He opened the door and turned on the light. Sure enough, Haru was curled up on his bed with tear tracks down his cheeks as well. Yuki sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Haru." he called quietly as he sat down on the bed next to his friend.

Haru opened his eyes and as soon as he realized it was Yuki he moved so he could curl against him. He reached out and took hold of Yuki's shirt in a death grip.

"Want to talk about it?" Yuki asked quietly.

"Not really. I've been tossed to the side by the girl I loved. Again."

"I don't think it's that bad. You two have just had your first fight is all. Every relationship has good spots and bad."

"She's sleeping with Kyou. I called her a whore. I don't think we're going to come back from that." he replied dully.

"I don't know. She's been crying since you parted ways. I would say that means she cares about you."

"Who's side are you one?" Haru snapped.

"Yours." Yuki replied without hesitation. "You've been happier since you started dating Michiko than I've ever seen you."

"Well, she doesn't care about me, just her precious Kyou. I've seen them sneaking around. Holding hands. They're so protective of each other." he growled. "I was so stupid. Ignoring it like that."

"Haru, haven't you noticed the way Kyou and Miss Honda look at each other when they think no one is looking? I truly believe there is nothing going on between Kyou and Michiko."

"They why did he spend the night with her last night?" Haru asked.

"Are you stupid or something?" came Kyou's yell from the doorway. He had heard Haru's voice in Yuki's room and opened the door. He stomped over to the bed and dragged Haru off of it by his collar. "You made her cry!" he yelled and punched Haru in the face.

Yuki sighed and tried to get anything breakable away from them while they continued to fight. Haru was not at his best and Yuki did not want them to do further damage to each other or his room so he pulled Kyou off of him and threw him though the door. "Enough. That is not helping."

Kyou looked at him in disgust before stomping into his room. Yuki looked over at Haru, who was just sitting where Kyou had left him, and gently pulled him to his feet. "Let's get you cleaned up." Haru reached out again and clamped onto Yuki's shirt.

He pulled him to the bathroom and started cleaning the many cuts that littered Haru's face. "You look a little worse for wear today. Do you want to stay the night?"

Haru nodded mutely and maintained his grip on Yuki's clothes. When Yuki finished bandaging Haru's hands he looked back up into his friend's face to see fresh tears falling. He ran a hand through the white and black hair and looked at him questioningly.

"She bandaged my hands after a fight too. She always fussed over every cut and bruise like it was life threatening. It made me feel good. To know that she cared about me that much. I was wrong."

"You weren't wrong. She does care about you." he argued gently.

He stepped out into the hall to lead Haru back to his room and was almost run over by Kyou, who was dragging Tohru down the hall at a run. Yuki frowned at them before shaking his head and leading Haru back to his room. He settled the two-tone haired boy into the bed and managed to pry his fingers off of his shirt long enough to swap it with a pajama shirt.

He allowed Haru to curl up against him and rubbed his back until they fell asleep. Yuki's last thought was to wonder where those two were going at such a late hour.


	11. Tears and Rage

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 11 – Tears & Rage

Kyou fumbled with the lock to Michiko's apartment before getting the door opened and nearly fell through it. He pulled Tohru in after him and slammed it closed. After a quick look around they ran into the bedroom and stopped short. Michiko was crying and clutching a necklace that matched his.

Tohru immediately went over to the bed and rested a hand on Michiko's head. The girl quieted a little but continued to cry softly. Tohru looked over at Kyou, "How did you know she was upset?"

"I just had a feeling is all." he replied. "She cried all afternoon. She was still crying when we left."

"I'll stay with her a while." Tohru offered as she climbed onto the bed and curled up next to her. "It will be okay, Mi-chan." she said softly while hugging Michiko close.

"Welcome to my home, Tohru-chan." Michiko said quietly before curling into the girl. Kyou sat in the chair Yuki had used earlier and glared around the room in frustration.

Tohru's voice drifted over to him, "You're really worried about her, aren't you?"

"Yeah. She just collapsed after Haru left and she hasn't done anything but cry since. I can't decide if I'm hoping they make up or not."

"Haru was crying when he got to Shigure's house so I hope they make up. They seem very sad without each other." she replied.

They stayed with her throughout the night. She hardly slept and her dreams were full of the red-haired woman that was still searching for her. All three were exhausted by the time the sun came up. Tohru smiled at Michiko as the other girl opened her eyes. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Michiko frowned, "Tired." She squeezed Tohru's hands. "You didn't have to stay with me all night. You have school today."

"What are friends for?" she asked cheerfully.

Kyou pulled out his cell phone and looked at it for a moment before punching a series of buttons. He put it away and then studied Michiko thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Michiko, would you please stay at Shigure's today? He wasn't feeling well last night and I want to make sure it's nothing serious. Yuki agreed to keep an eye on him last night and he sent me a message saying he wasn't doing very well this morning."

Michiko looked at him suspiciously for a moment before nodded tiredly. "Okay. Just let me get cleaned up." She climbed out of bed and headed for the shower.

Tohru shooed Kyou out of the room and into the kitchen. "Shigure was fine last night. What are you talking about?" she asked quietly.

"I don't think she should be all alone today. I thought it would be more likely to get her to go over there to keep an eye on him than anything else. I sent Yuki a message asking him to let Shigure know what's going on and to let me know when he and Haru are out of the house."

She smiled at him, "Oh. That's very nice of you, Kyou-kun."

He shrugged self-consciously. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

Tohru put her hand on his arm, "You take good care of her."

They heard Michiko's footsteps and broke apart so Tohru could make tea. "I hope you don't mind, Mi-chan."

"Not at all, Tohru-chan. You make the best tea." she said quietly.

Tohru smiled as she placed a cup in front of Michiko. Once they had a quick breakfast, which Tohru insisted on making, the trio walked over to Shigure's house. They found Shigure curled up on the couch looking pathetic. He was flushed and slightly sweaty and looked vaguely uneasy.

"Shigure-san. How are you feeling?" Michiko asked quietly.

"Not very well." he responded truthfully. Yuki had made it explicitly clear what would happen to him if he tried to cause any trouble or interfere at all today. He was to keep an eye on Michiko and speak only when spoken to.

"Let me know if you need anything." she offered solicitously as she sat down at the other end of the couch. She looked up at the two teens, "Don't worry. I'll call Hatori if he gets any worse. You should get to school before you're late."

Tohru leaned down to give her a hug and Kyou ran a hand over her head. "See you later."

She waited until they were gone before turning to Shigure, "You can stop pretending to be sick now."

He stared at her, "Whatever do you mean? I've been sick since last night."

She half-heartedly quirked a brow at him. "I know they're worried about me. I'm fine. I don't need to be babysat."

He sat up straight, "You caught us. We're just worried about you is all. You're always there for us, now we would like to do the same for you. But please don't tell them you saw through me."

"I didn't see through you, something was definitely wrong with you. Yuki said something about consequences if you don't behave while I was here, I would guess? I saw through the other two. They aren't very good liars."

Shigure smiled warmly at her, "You have figured us out, haven't you?"

"Not entirely, but I have figured out a lot of the dynamics between the members of this household at least."

Shigure nodded, "You and Tohru have that in common."

She smiled tiredly at him, "She understands you guys very well."

Shigure studied her for a few moments, "Why don't you get some sleep? If you don't want to sleep on the couch, I'm sure Tohru won't mind you sleeping in her room for a while."

Michiko nodded, "Thank you for worrying about me, Shigure-san."

He smiled, "Any time. Do you want me to call Hatori to take a look at your cheek?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's fine. Doesn't even hurt." She got up and wandered up the stairs.

Shigure frowned after her but let her go without further comment. He worked for a couple of hours and decided to check on her. He went upstairs and poked his head into Tohru's room. She was crying again while holding onto one of her many necklaces. He walked over to the bed and rested a hand on her forehead. She gave him a wan smile so he ruffled her hair and left to search for a snack.

The door slammed open as he stepped into the kitchen and Kyou came running in. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She's in Tohru's room. Shouldn't you be at school?"

Kyou growled something unintelligible as he headed up the stairs.

"She's been sleeping all morning." Shigure said as he followed him up the stairs.

"No, she's been crying all morning." Kyou returned as he settled onto the bed next to her and started rubbing her back.

"How do you know?"

"I just do." came to impatient reply.

Shigure shook his head and went back down to the study to make some notes. He had a feeling this was going to make an excellent story by the time it was settled.

Michiko settled into sleep as Kyou rubbed her back. Once asleep, the red-haired woman walked up to her weeping dream-self.

"_There you are, little sister. What has upset you so?"_

"_The same thing as before, big sister. He doesn't love me and won't talk to me. I don't know what to do."_

"_Help me find you and I'll be able to help you." came the reply._

"_I'm right here. I'm always here when you're looking for me and you always find me."_

"_I need to find you in the waking world as well, little sister. Won't you help me?"_

"_I can't. What if _he's _listening? I don't want him to find me and take me away."_

"_He can't. I will protect you."_

"_No one can protect me from him. I had to run away."_

"_Me, too."_

----------

Tohru was talking to Yuki and saw Haru walking towards them from the corner of her eye. She smiled a little and pitched her voice so he could hear it as he walked over.

"I'm worried about Michiko. Kyou ran out of class about thirty minutes ago. I don't know how he knows when she's upset, but I'm very worried about her. Do you think she and Haru will be okay? They are so unhappy."

Yuki frowned a tiny bit before realizing she knew Haru was there. "Hopefully they'll work it out, Miss Honda. It's not for us to interfere with." he replied gently as he looked up and gave Haru a concerned look as he latched onto Yuki's shirt.

"What? I don't care what they're doing." he said defensively. His eyes were dark again. He had cried last night and now he was angry about it. Plus, Kyou was off with his girl, and that really pissed him off.

Yuki sighed, "I really don't think they're doing anything, Haru."

"Let's go see, shall we?" he snarled and stomped away. Tohru and Yuki glanced at each other then hurried after him. It looked like cutting was the theme of the day today.

Shigure sighed as he heard the door slam open for the second time that day. He walked into the living room in time to see Haru stomp into it. They looked at each other for a moment before he spoke, "Where is she?"

"In Tohru's room, hopefully sleeping."

Haru stormed up the stairs and Yuki and Tohru ran after him. Shigure followed at a more sedate pace, figuring he didn't want to _see_ the door get destroyed. It was enough to hear it – _crash_. Yep, right on schedule. He got to the doorway in time to see Haru start yelling about them not being able to keep their hands off each other at a badly startled Kyou and Michiko. He watched with interest as Michiko's eyes darkened and then she shot off the bed and right into Haru as a wind started blowing around the room.

She slammed him into the wall and everyone froze in shock while she ranted in a voice that made the frozen arctic seem like summer. "How dare you speak to us this way?! We would have done anything for you. Accepted anything. Kept any secret. Do you realize that you are the only one we've ever kissed? The first real friend we ever made? Our first love? If you imply by word or deed we are a whore again, I will rip out your tongue and feed it to you. Are we clear?"

Haru struggled but could not break her hold. He had been shocked back to White by what had just happened and the fact he could barely breathe.

"M-Mi-chan?" Tohru asked quietly.

Michiko looked at her coldly, "She's not here right now."

Yuki stepped forward, "What is your name?"

"I am Khristalle."

"Khristalle-san, you might want to let him go. He can't breathe." Tohru said softly.

She looked back at the boy she was holding against the wall and saw he was very pale. Michiko suddenly snapped back to herself and released him. "I'm sorry! Oh, God. I'm so sorry!" She looked at all of them, staring at her with apprehension and whispered one word before collapsing. "_Forget_." It would remove the memory of that other side, and blur its actions, but not remove it entirely so she felt no guilt about using it. The additional shock to her system, however, wiped out her memory of that other self appearing as well.

Everyone stood still for a moment with surprised expressions before coming back to themselves. Yuki held out a hand to help Haru to his feet, "I think she needed to get that off of her chest. Maybe now she'll start feeling better."

Kyou picked Michiko up and put her back on Tohru's bed at the other girl's insistence. "I've never seen her anything but happy. It's nice to know she's not that disgustingly levelheaded all of the time."

Once Michiko was settled back into bed, everyone left the room. Kyou followed Haru down the stairs and waited for the other boy to notice him before punching him in the face again. "I still can't believe you called her that. It's haunting her."

Haru couldn't work up the energy to get mad at Kyou so he just shrugged and walked back upstairs and into Yuki's room.

"Not helping." Yuki growled.

"It's helping me." Kyou shot back before storming out of the room and up to the roof.

A while later Tohru and Kyou went to check on Michiko. It looked like exhaustion had finally won out but the girl was not sleeping peacefully.

"Can you tell what she's saying?' Tohru asked after a moment.

Kyou frowned and focused on what she was saying then flinched. "I'm not sure." _It sounded like 'not a monster' and 'not a whore.'_ Kyou realized he didn't know his sister as well as he thought he did, but was maybe getting an understanding of why she was so adamant about him not believing people when they called him a monster.

----------

Meanwhile Yuki and Haru were sitting on Yuki's bed discussing what had happened.

"No, she's never done anything like that before. It was surprising but at the same time it wasn't. I've known there was a darkness in her since we met." Haru said in response to Yuki's question. "It's odd, I know something happened but I can't remember it very well. Do you think it was the lack of oxygen?" he asked.

"I don't remember it very well either and no one was resting on my windpipe. Maybe it was the shock of seeing her behave so violently?" Yuki offered.

"I don't know. I've never seen her so angry over anything. She was as angry as my Black side has ever been."

"Maybe that's why it doesn't scare her?" Yuki asked.

Haru looked at him thoughtfully, "It could be. If she knows she's strong enough to stand up to my other side then that would explain why she's never once been worried about seeing it. Did you know she always greets that side of me as warmly as she greets this one? It's amazing how accepting she is. I even flashed her once after she said something about my hair and she just smiled and said she understood. Well, after she stopped blushing anyway." Haru chuckled at the memory before realizing she would not be doing that again.

Yuki read Haru correctly, "I think she would prefer to be with you than away from you. Perhaps if you just asked her to explain?"

"No. You've seen how close she and Kyou are. There's something between them." he replied angrily.

**----------**

Later that evening, Michiko woke up from a nightmare. She looked around the unfamiliar room and then spotted Tohru sleeping peacefully next to her, their hands once again entwined. _At least she wasn't scared by my temper tantrum_ she thought to herself. She felt a little bit better and yet vaguely uneasy now that she had said the things on her mind, even though she wished she had had less of an audience. She decided she wanted to be home in her own bed so she quietly extricated herself from Tohru's grasp and slipped out of the bed. She crept quietly down the stairs and out the front door.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and a hand was placed over her mouth. "Shh. It's just me." Kyou whispered next to her ear as he released her.

"You nearly scared me to death, Kyou-kun!" she whispered vehemently.

"What are you doing sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night?" he asked quietly.

"I want to go home. It's been very kind of all of you to let me stay but I need to be home. I can take care of myself. I have been doing so for most of my life."

"I'm just worried about you. You cried until this morning and now you've had nightmares all evening."

"How do you know?" she asked curiously.

He frowned, "I'm not sure. I just feel pulled to you and when I get there you're crying or talking in your sleep."

"Interesting. What am I saying?" she asked, wondering if something had gone wrong with the spell she used on his necklace. She had been careful, but adapting spells sometimes had strange side-effects.

He looked uncomfortable. "It doesn't make much sense." he evaded. "Whatever. If you're set on going home in the middle of the night, I'll walk you so no one tries to hassle you."

She scoffed lightly at him, "I can take care of myself. I have been since you were in diapers."

"Hey! You're only two years older than me."

"Kyou-kun, I left home when I was eleven and my parents didn't take much care of me for a long time before that."

"I understand." he replied. She had only spoken about her family the night she was attacked and rarely about anything in her life before she moved here. "You can talk to me about it, if you think it would help." he stuttered.

"There isn't much to say and it still has the power to make me angry when I think about it."

"I'm sorry, Mi-chan. Did you have other family?"

"Just my grandfather. He was a lot like Kazuma-san."

"So you're all alone and you wonder why I worry about you?" he replied.

She reached out and ruffled his hair, "You're a good brother. Come on then, walk your big sister home."

He slung an arm around her shoulders and led her away.

----------

Unbeknownst to them, someone had listened to the entire conversation from the shadows of the porch. _Damn. I was way, WAY out of line._

Haru waited patiently for Kyou to return. It seemed to take forever and he had started to wonder if the boy was just going to stay over when he finally spotted him walking up the path. He knew the moment Kyou realized he was there because the teen's entire demeanor went from relaxed to tense.

"You should walk away before I hit you again." he growled.

"I would deserve it." Haru replied evenly.

Kyou's eyes widened, "That and more. Do you have any idea how much she's cried for you, you stupid cow?"

"No, and I'm not sure I'm worth her tears." he replied.

"You're not." Kyou shot back, going straight for the heart.

Haru recoiled violently before turning around and walking away. Kyou glared at him until he could not see him any longer.

"Not helping." came Yuki's quiet voice from behind him.

"Who said I was trying to help?" Kyou snarled.

"You want her happy, don't you?" he asked reasonably.

"You think he can make her happy when he doesn't trust her?"

"I think they need to work this out without us interfering so much. I'm going to get some sleep while he's walking. I suggest you do the same."


	12. Making Up

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 12 – Making Up

If shame had a face I think it

would kind of look like mine

If it had a home would it be my eyes

Would you believe me if I said I'm tired of this

Well here we go now one more time

~ _Sick Cycle Carousel,_ Lifehouse

And so things continued in this vein for the next couple weeks. Every time Kyou saw Haru, he would punch him. Sometimes Haru would fight back and they would tussle until they were exhausted (which didn't take long as neither of them were sleeping very well), sometimes he wouldn't. If Haru didn't fight back, Yuki would punch Kyou instead. In every instance, Yuki would tell Kyou that it wasn't helping and Kyou would reply that it was helping him.

As for Michiko, her sleep was constantly interrupted by nightmares from the past and her appetite suffered for it. She lost more weight than she could really afford but simply could not work up an interest in food. She kept having a recurring nightmare about the first and last times her other self had emerged.

The first time, her father was punishing her for accidental magic – she had protected herself from his initial punishment for mouthing off and earned his wrath instead when she had suddenly blacked out. When she came to her father was screaming about her being a freak and that was why no one could ever love her. When he realized it was her again he had taken the belt to her back until she had no tears left to cry.

The last time was right before she started at the magical school. They had gotten into a huge fight because Grandfather had agreed to pay for her schooling in hopes of her gaining control over her powers, which had started emerging in violent and destructive ways. Her father tried to get her with the belt and when she came back to herself _she _had beaten _him _with it. He looked up at her and told her that no one could ever love a monster like her. She had been terrified when she realized what she had done. She packed her few belongings and never stepped foot in that house again.

She had lied to everyone and stayed in abandoned houses or lived on the streets during summer breaks, working non-stop on class work so she could finish early and be completely free. That was when she met Kai and he taught her how to survive during the months she was out of school. When she finished school she had handed her parents the paperwork to make her a legal adult and remained on the doorstep while she waited for them to sign it. _Why am I dreaming about this? I thought it was done and buried? I haven't had a black out in years and years. _

The part of the dream that was really killing her peace of mind was the part when her father would morph into Haru and he would tell her that no one could ever love a whore like her. She would beg him to let her explain but he would just laugh coldly and walk away. She _knew_ she wasn't a monster or a freak or a whore but it just kept circling around and around until she thought she would go crazy.

She also had a feeling Kyou was not being entirely honest with her when he said he didn't know what she said while she was talking in her sleep. She had caught him watching her with an entirely too understanding look on his face a couple of times and wondered if he had realized they were haunted by many of the same demons. Well, she would have told him eventually anyway she thought idly as she washed the dishes. She had gone to bed alone every night since the day she spent at Shigure's but every morning someone would either be in bed with her or in the chair next to the bed. It seemed to rotate mostly between Kyou, Tohru, and Yuki, but she had seen Shigure, Hatori, and even Ayame a couple of times as well. She tried to tell them it was not necessary but they refused to listen and continued to come over every night.

She had asked Yuki why he was so worried about her late one night when she had woken from yet another nightmare. She knew she considered herself his friend, but he always stayed at arm's length – even continuing to call her Sato-san after knowing her for so long and helping watch over her. He had laughed softly and told her that he was worried because he was her friend. He worried because she was the only other person besides Haru he knew that accepted him exactly as he was no questions and no expectations. He could show her any facet of himself and she would treat him exactly the same. He told her that even though he kept his distance, he still felt very close to her. She had smiled and told him she liked all sides of him.

She had also had a late night conversation with Shigure a couple nights ago that was both enlightening and surprising. He had reminded her that Haru was barely sixteen and of the pair of them, she should take the lead. He asked her if she truly wanted to walk away from her relationship with Haru and she had to admit that she didn't, but she didn't know how to approach him for fear of what he would say. She confessed the part of her nightmare that involved Haru and Shigure had told her that while he understood her fear, it wasn't going to get any better unless she spoke with him. Perhaps after that the nightmare would go away. He also told her that something had changed with Haru after that second night and he was no longer angry, just depressed.

She liked the mornings Hatori had been there the best. He just watched over her while he read through her energy healing books and when she woke up he would run his hand over her hair in a fatherly gesture she had come to treasure. He would allow her to make him breakfast and they would talk about healing and medicine. He had been training her in the science of healing as much as she had been training him in energy and they had a few lively discussions on the best methods of treatment. He still couldn't believe energy healing could be powerful enough to negate the need for surgery.

She sighed as she settled onto the couch to do some reading. She had a particularly dry book to read through and it really seemed to help lull her into sleep. She wished for a moment she was watching movies with Haru before pushing the thought out of her head. The distraught girl didn't know what to say or do to get things back to where they were supposed to be.

----------

A hesitant knock sounded on her door and Michiko walked listlessly over to answer it. "Yes?"

"May I please come in? I'd like to speak with you." Akira said quietly.

Michiko shrugged, "Sure. Let me put on the kettle."

Once the tea was made they took seats at the table and Michiko poured out. Akira played with her cup for a few minutes before she gathered the courage to speak, "Michiko-san, please forgive me for being nosy, but what happened between you and Hatsuharu?"

"I'm not sure. Why do you ask?" she replied as she blinked back tears.

"Well, it's just that he asked me out on a date today. He was upset and got suspended for violence last week and when he got back today he asked me to go to the movies and dinner with him."

Michiko had to work to keep her face from crumpling at the evidence that Haru had indeed broken up with her and moved on. "Haru may date whoever he wishes."

Akira studied her, "How can you say that?"

"What else can I say? I can't force him to want to be with me and if he's asked you out then he's obviously not interested in me anymore." Michiko managed to get out.

"He seems very unhappy though. Are you sure he doesn't want to be by your side? Something is definitely wrong with him. He's not been acting like himself and he's been very violent."

Michiko shook her head, "He told me to stay away from him and I don't know how to make it right. If he asked you out, maybe it's right for him."

"Or maybe he's as upset as you and doesn't know what to do. He's my friend and I don't like seeing him hurt."

"As long as he believes what he does I can't do anything about it."

"He knows you didn't sleep with Kyou."

Michiko looked at her sharply, "How did you know about that?"

"He told me before he got suspended."

"If he knows and still hasn't spoke to me then that tells me everything I need to know."

Akira shook her head, "You're as stubborn as him, aren't you?"

Michiko glared at her, "Why are you here? If you want to date him, don't let me stand in your way."

"You're really willing to walk away from him after one little fight?" Akira asked sharply. "I thought you loved him."

Michiko's face crumpled and fresh tears started falling, "I do."

"Then do something about it." the girl snapped before letting herself out.

----------

Haru spun around and glared at the girl that had taken hold of his arm. He and Kyou had just finished fighting and he wasn't in the mood for stupid fan girls. When he saw it was Akira he smiled tightly. "Have you made up your mind?"

She looked up at him with worry clear in her eyes before her face firmed and she answered, "I don't think we should go out."

He turned and punched the wall, "Why not? I'm not good enough for you?"

She smiled a little, "Honestly, I thought I wanted nothing more than to go out with you. I've been biding my time and waiting for you two to break up. But, when I saw how much it hurt you to be away from Michiko I decided I want you happy more than I want you with me. We're friends and I don't think we're meant to be anything more."

"I can't be with Michiko so why not grab your chance?" he replied angrily.

She reached up and touched his cheek, "You can and you should. You two are so unhappy; you should go over there and talk to her."

"She won't talk to me." he argued.

"Of course she will. She loves you. And you love her. Talk to her." she replied before squeezing his hand and walking away. He watched her go and dashed away the tears that had started falling at the thought of the girl he loved more than anyone else. He absently rubbed his hip while he thought about her. _I wish I could talk to Mi. I'd tell her how much I love her and how sorry I am. She's the only one that ever accepted me as I am and I walked away from her without even giving her a chance to explain. I should have known she loved only me and that whatever was between her and Kyou was because of their similar histories._

----------

What Michiko didn't know was that things had reached a breaking point among her friends. Yuki wanted his bed back, and a full night's sleep, which he hadn't had in two weeks because Haru refused to leave his side except for when he stayed at Michiko's. He even tried to go to class with him, which was really upsetting the teachers. He cared about his friend, he really did, but he just wanted him and Michiko to make up so he could have some peace and quiet. He knew neither of them was going to get any better until they made up and vowed to make that happen very soon. Even if he had to hog tie them together to get it done.

Shigure was tired of Kyou punching Haru through the doors and into the walls and Yuki doing the same to Kyou now that Haru had pretty much stopped fighting back. He had gotten to the point where he refused to fix anything since they were just going to break it anyway. He had also vowed to get the couple to at least talk to each other.

Kyou was tired of seeing his sister crying about the stupid cow and the painful memories it had apparently brought to the surface. He wouldn't object to a full night's sleep, but since he had his own reasons for rarely getting those, the lack of sleep didn't affect him the way it did Tohru. He was also bored of fighting with Haru. It just wasn't any fun when the ushi didn't fight back. He even felt sorry for the rat since as far as he could tell, Haru only let go of his shirt when Yuki went over to Michiko's. Of course, Yuki taking up for Haru balanced out any sorry feelings he had. Kyou's eyes narrowed as he thought of a plan.

He crept quietly into the dining room where the ushi was predictably clinging to Yuki. Tohru's and Shigure's eyes widened as they saw him pull his arm back and pop the ushi in the back of the head. He dropped like a stone and Kyou smiled.

"Kyou-kun? Why did you do that?" Tohru asked uncertainly.

"It seems to me that tonight should be Haru's turn to keep an eye on Mi. Maybe then they'll talk and we can all get some sleep."

Everyone looked at him questioningly for a moment before Shigure hopped up, "Let me just get the car . . ."

Yuki looked up at Kyou and he braced himself to get yelled at, but Yuki just smiled tiredly. "How are we going to get him to stay once he wakes up?"

Kyou picked up some rope he had put down in the hallway and waved it at Yuki who chuckled and grabbed an end to start tying him up.

By the time Shigure drove the car around they had Haru tied up snugly, but not painfully. They carried him out and dumped him into the back seat of the car then squeezed in next to him, allowing Tohru to sit comfortably in the front seat.

A few minutes later they pulled up outside Michiko's apartment building and lugged him up the stairs. Tohru got the key out of Kyou's pocket with only one blush and opened the door. Michiko looked up and she saw her friends dump Haru unceremoniously on her floor.

"He wants to talk to you." Kyou said.

"And you want to talk to him." Tohru added.

Michiko blinked at them, bewildered.

"You are both very unhappy right now. We all believe that the only way for you both to be happy again is together. We'll be outside the door holding it shut until you two make up." Yuki explained.

"Are you serious?" Michiko asked.

"Yes." the said together.

"Okay. Um, see you later?" she said uncertainly.

The four trooped out and shut the door behind them. She heard them lock the door. She stared at Haru for a few minutes trying to figure out what she should do. He looked terrible. There were dark circles under his eyes, he was thinner, and he was sporting quite a variety of old and new bruises. She stared at those for several moments trying to figure out what he could have been doing to get banged up like that. She got up and walked over to him. She tugged up his shirt to see he had several bruises on his torso as well. Concern won out and she walked over to the door. She unlocked it and when it opened she nearly got shoved right back inside.

"Whoa! Hold on. I just had a question is all." she said quickly.

"What's your question?" Shigure asked.

"What the hell happened to him?"

"Kyou knocked him out so he couldn't argue about coming over."

"Not that. I mean why does he have so many bruises? On his face and torso? Some are fresh and some are more than a week old."

Shigure, Tohru, and Yuki all turned to look at Kyou. Michiko followed their gazes and saw him shift guiltily. He was also covered in a variety of bruises, though not as many as Haru.

"Kyou-kun? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No."

"Is there something you _should _tell me?"

"…"

"Kyou-kun?! You didn't do that to him, did you?"

"…"

"Why would you do something like that?" she asked tensely.

"I deserved it." came a quiet voice from behind her. It felt like there was ice skittering along his spine and he felt more unwelcome in her home than he ever had before. He knew it wasn't her charm, but his own guilt. She spun around and saw Haru was awake and looking at the floor. His entire posture radiated shame.

She turned back to Kyou. "We'll talk about this later. You better make sure you have a damn good apology ready for him when we do." she looked at the others, "You saw him doing this?"

They nodded guiltily.

"Then you better get working on your apologies too." She slammed the door in their faces and put down a barrier so no one could get in or out of the apartment without her.

She knelt beside Haru and gently reached out and untied him. "Welcome to my home, Haru-kun. Come with me."

The icy unwelcome feeling eased at her words. _Maybe it could be all right again?_ He tried to resist but she gently pulled him into the bedroom and urged him onto the bed. When she tried to take off his shirt he started to fight her in earnest.

"Haru-kun. Please be still. I just want to heal them for you. I can't stand to see you so beat up." she told him softly.

He acquiesced and she tugged his shirt off and tossed it behind her. Her face creased with worry as she saw how many bruises he had. "Why doesn't Kyou have this many bruises?"

"I realized he was hitting me because he was worried about you so I let him and didn't fight back. I deserved it after the way I treated you." he replied placidly.

Michiko sighed deeply. "No one deserves to be treated like a punching bag. Hold still, this might tickle a bit." she told him as she placed her hands on his sides and they started glowing a soft white.

"What are you doing?" he asked, vaguely curious.

"Healing you, silly. I told you that's what I was going to do." Several moments later all of the bruises on his torso were gone and she reached up to gently cup his face. They looked into each other's eyes while she healed the bruises on his face and the lump on the back of his head.

Once they were healed she rested her forehead against his and spoke very quietly, "I've missed you, Haru-kun."

He sighed as well. "I've missed you too, Mi-chan."

"Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"I don't know. I love you and I realize that there isn't anything between you and Kyou. I'm sorry I didn't even give you a chance to explain and I'm sorry I called you a whore. I wasn't thinking clearly. All I could think about was that I was somehow losing you."

"Haru-kun, you were not in any danger of losing me. We have to trust in the love we have for each other or what we have won't last."

"I know. I was stupid."

"Not stupid. Just scared, and understandably so. I hadn't told you that I considered Kyou my brother so when you saw us together you could only think what you did. That was my fault and I'm sorry."

He reached up and cupped her cheek, "I love you."

She smiled, "I love you too."

They met halfway in a kiss that felt like coming home.

"Come on, let's get some sleep." she said as she pushed him over so she could get into bed.

He climbed under the blankets and turned so they could hold hands and rest their foreheads together. Haru watched as she slowly drifted to sleep and followed soon after.

----------

Michiko didn't open her eyes when she woke up. She had developed a little game where she tried to figure out who was with her before she opened her eyes and looked. She could identify all of them by how they held her hand and what their hands felt like. She would puzzle through it aloud and they would try to not give themselves away before she had decided. Except for Hatori, who said he didn't believe in playing silly guessing games.

Haru had been awake for quite sometime as she had woken him up during a nightmare. He soothed her but she hadn't woken up. He watched as she started talking quietly. He grinned when he realized what she was saying.

"Hmmm." she moved her foot back and felt the edge of the bed nearby. "You're in the bed with me so that means it's not Shigure, Hatori, or Yuki." she ran her thumbs across his knuckles and frowned lightly. "You're hands are too big to be Tohru's, but they're not calloused the same as our resident tree climber." She pondered for a moment. "You can't be Ayame because I'm pretty sure he's incapable of silence and Yuki and Kyou threatened him with death if he climbed into the bed again. Can I have a hint?"

Haru leaned forward and gently kissed her temple.

Her eyes snapped open and she saw him leaning over her. "It wasn't a dream or am I still dreaming?"

"It wasn't a dream." he whispered.

She burrowed into him with their hands between them so he wouldn't transform. "I love you."

He smiled into her hair, "I love you too."

He enjoyed being close to her for a moment more before pulling away. "Mi-chan, what are your nightmares about?"

She frowned at him, "Old stuff that doesn't matter any longer."

"If it doesn't matter, then why are you dreaming about it?"

"I don't know. It wasn't as bad last night so maybe our argument was what brought it on." she replied.

"If that was the case, don't you think it would have stopped since we made up last night?"

"But I didn't remember right away that we had when I woke up so maybe it hasn't sunk in yet." she returned.

"Sweetheart, you were talking about not being a monster or a freak. That doesn't have anything to do with what happened between us."

Her eyes shuttered, "I don't know what you're talking about. I know I'm not a monster or a freak."

He held on when she tried to get away. "But who told you that you were?"

"It's not important."

"It is. Please." he asked gently while smoothing his thumb over her cheek. "I only want to know so I can help."

"It was my father and as I have only spoken with him twice in the last seven years, there is nothing for you to help with." she snapped.

He looked at her in surprise. "Okay. I understand that you don't want to talk about this now and I'll wait until you're ready."

She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just a very sore subject, even after all this time."

He dropped a kiss on her forehead, "I understand."

She grimaced, "I'm not sure that you do and honestly I hope you never will."

He pulled back from her, "Why?"

"I don't talk about my past because parts of it were terrible. The only way for you to truly understand is for me to tell you all about it and I don't know that I ever want to do that."

"Mi-chan, you do realize that I can't accept all of you unless I know, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know if I'm strong enough and what will you think of me once you know what I've done and what I'm capable of?"

He took a moment to ponder that she said what she'd done and not what was done to her before deciding to press later. "I'll think you're a good person and love you as much or more than I do right now." he replied firmly. "You've already told me parts of it. Why not tell me the rest?"

"You don't know that it wouldn't affect your feelings for me." she replied.

"Mi-chan, you're talking to someone that has a side not only capable of, but gleefully willing to, do all kinds of terrible things. Do you think I'd be any less understanding of you than I ask you to be of me?"

"But Haru-kun, there are a thousand shades of gray between those sides. What I'm talking about is more black and white." she replied softly.

"It doesn't matter. I love you and nothing you tell me is going to change that." he held her eyes so that she know he was absolutely confident in that. _What happened to you? Please tell me. I want to help. To be there for you, like no one has been before._

"I'm not ready yet. Please don't make me tell you right now?" she pleaded.

He sighed, "For now. But you will have to tell me eventually."

She nodded before curling back into him.


	13. Explanations

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 13 - Explanations

Kyou had been thinking about the situation with Haru and Michiko. He knew they were close, but he wanted to know what Haru's intentions were now that they had made up. To make sure that the ushi wasn't biding his time until Isuzu changed her mind. He snagged him as he left Yuki's room and dragged him into his.

"Need to talk to you for a minute." he said seriously.

Haru looked at him with a vaguely puzzled frown, "Okay."

Kyou took a deep breath, "What are you intentions towards Michiko?"

"What?"

"You heard me, baka ushi. What are you intentions towards my sister?" he demanded.

"My intentions?" Haru repeated, completely taken aback by Kyou's question.

"You keep telling me you're not stupid, but you can't even answer a simple question."

"That's not a simple question." Haru argued.

"Yes, it is. Are you using her until Isuzu wants you back?" Kyou asked.

Haru gaped at him, "How did you know about Rin?"

"I have ears. Well?" he demanded.

"I haven't thought about Rin for months. I don't care if she never wants to see me again or decides she wants me back. I want Michiko and as long as she wants me too, I'm happy. What I felt for Rin pales in comparison to what Michiko and I have." Haru replied quietly.

Kyou cringed, "I'm not sure I needed to know that. What about the curse?" Kyou asked.

"What about it? I'm not going to let it get between us."

"So you are willing to tell her about it?"

He looked away, "She knows I transform into an ox."

Kyou looked at him in shock, "How?"

Haru shrugged, "How do you think? She hugged me."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing. I don't want Akito trying to interfere with our relationship, and as soon as I tell her, he'll need to know."

"She just accepted it with no explanation?"

"She has secrets of her own so she understands."

Kyou looked at him appraisingly, "You're really serious about her, aren't you? Can I trust you to keep her best interests at heart?"

Haru returned the look steadily, "Yes. Are we done now?"

"No. I need to ask a favor of you." Kyou returned.

"What?" Haru asked in exasperation. He understood where Kyou was coming from and that was the only thing that kept him from decking him to end the conversation.

"When Akito puts me in that room, will you look after her for me? I know Yuki will watch out for Tohru, but I want to make sure someone keeps an eye on Mi as well." Kyou said softly.

Taken by surprise he frowned before replying, "She's going to be devastated." Haru studied the cat closely and noticed he had a necklace on. He reached out and touched the brushed metal around the engraving, "Where did you get that?"

"Mi gave it to me as a birthday present." he said with a small smile. He very rarely got gifts and they were precious to him.

"What's the significance of the pendant?" Haru probed.

Kyou looked uncomfortable, "Nothing."

"Your sister gave you a pendant that says 'home' and you're telling me there's no significance? Come on, Kyou. You've always been a terrible liar."

"It doesn't mean anything." Kyou argued.

Haru shrugged carelessly, "Then you won't mind my telling Shigure and Ayame that she gave you a gift. Maybe Kagura too?"

Kyou started to look worried, "You wouldn't."

"I would. Now what's the story with the necklace?"

"Why are you so sure there's a story?"

"She never gives gifts without a story. Where's my phone? I bet Kagura is at home right now." Haru pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

Kyou visibly wilted, "Okay, okay. I'll tell you if you want to know that bad! Jeez."

Haru raised his brows questioningly.

Kyou let out a breath, "It's to remind me that I always have a home where I'm surrounded by those that love me. She said I need to hold it and think about family and she'll be with me in an instant. I hope Akito lets me keep it. If he doesn't will you sneak it in to me?"

Haru narrowed his eyes at the possible magical implications of a gift like that. "I will. Are you done with the interrogation now, Kyou?" he asked with a shimmer of impatience. An idea had just occurred to him and he wanted to find out about it right away.

Kyou yelled, "I've never had a sister before, but I know it's my job to take care of her!"

Shigure, Tohru, and Yuki heard this statement and came up to see what he was yelling about.

"What sister?" Yuki asked.

"None of your business." he yelled back at the same time Tohru said, "Michiko."

Kyou looked at her, "How did you know that?"

"I see the way you two look after each other. It's the same as Hana and her brother. You protect her from anyone that might hurt her, you tease her, you're comfortable around her, you worry about her living alone with no one to take care of her. She always says you're family. She cheers you up, questions us relentlessly when you're upset or can't be found, she sometimes brings things over for me to add to your lunch. We talk about you all the time." Tohru realized what that last statement was and blushed furiously.

"You do? Why?" he demanded.

She blushed brighter, "We care about you."

Haru's and Yuki's eyebrows went up and they decided that was an excellent cue to leave. They grabbed Shigure on the way out and closed the door behind them.

"Bother them and I'll call your editor to tell her you haven't even started your book yet." Yuki threatened.

Shigure wilted at the threat and Haru chuckled. "Well done."

Meanwhile, Kyou was still staring at Tohru. "What did you mean, Tohru?" he asked in a very quiet voice.

She looked at the floor and tried to gather her courage. She and Uo and Hana had talked about this. She had also spoken with Michiko to get an older girl's perspective. _Come on. Say it. Say anything. Do something!!_

She was quiet for so long that Kyou had decided she wasn't going to answer when she stepped forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. She stepped back, blushing furiously and risked a peek at his face.

He was staring at her with the most hopeful expression she had ever seen on his face as he slowly reached out and settled his hands on her shoulders. She continued to look up at him as he slowly moved closer to her. She watched as he brought his lips to hers in a very gentle kiss. After the initial surprise she closed her eyes and just enjoyed it.

----------

Haru went straight to Michiko's apartment from Shigure's, unendingly grateful for the cell phone Michiko had given back to him. He followed her inside after she answered the door and gave her a quick kiss before leading her over to the couch.

"I want to ask you something." he said.

She sat down next to him, "Okay. Ask away."

"What's the deal with Kyou's necklace? Why did you tell him that he should hold it and think about family and they would be there?"

"He told you what I said?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, after some prying."

She flushed guiltily and he read her expression well. She peeked through her lashes at him and saw he was going to sit there until she answered his question properly. She spoke in the barest whisper, "I know about the curse and what they are going to do to him."

Haru stared at her in shock. "How?" he managed to get out.

She waved a hand towards all the books in the apartment, "I make a living researching archaic spells knowing only about their effects. Once I figured out where to look it was easy."

"But what _made _you look?"

"Lots of things: the nicknames, the no hugging, the fact that everyone in your family walk around me so cautiously. You turned into an ox when I hugged you. No one hugs Tohru either. The way you all treat Kyou. The magic I can feel dancing across my skin whenever one of you is nearby. Most people wouldn't connect stuff like that, but it's my job and passion to look for oddities and trace them back to the source."

"How long have you known?"

"A few weeks. I figured it out while I was home waiting for my stitches to be removed."

He frowned, "You haven't told anyone?"

"Of course not. I asked you to keep my secret and I do the same for you."

"Does it scare you?"

"No. It's a spell. It has a really crummy effect, but in the end it's just magic. I wonder though . . ." she trailed off.

"What do you wonder?"

"If Akito wants you all under the spell or if he doesn't know how to break it?"

"It can be broken?" he asked in surprise.

"All spells can be broken if you know the proper counter."

"What is it?"

"Each of you has to fall completely and unconditionally in love and be loved the same way and then it will break. It will still maintain a certain amount of hold over you until the cat finds love, and then it will be completely broken." she explained.

He stared at her for several minutes in absolute silence. "Are you certain?" _We can be free . . ._

"Yes. Your lover must accept you completely as you are and vice versa then it will release you."

"Well that would explain why the cat is the most important. You know about his other form?"

"Yes, but I really don't think it's going to be a problem."

"Tohru really cares about him that much?"

"I'm certain of it."

He shook his head in wonder. "How do you know if it's broken?"

"It didn't say. I would imagine hugging a girl would give you a pretty big clue."

He snorted, "Wanna hug?"

She looked at him affectionately, "I doubt it would work right now."

He frowned at her, "Why not? I thought-"

"Haru," she cut him off gently, "I love you, but I don't know all of you yet so how can I love you completely?" She smiled and gave him a soft kiss, "I'm working on it, though, and I'd very much like that hug."

"And you won't let me know all of you yet." he said as he walked her over to a fairly open spot in the living room and slowly pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around him as he came closer and for a moment, he was in heaven.

When he was changed back and dressed she smiled and hugged him again. "Since I know, we can ditch the no hugging rule, right?"

He chuckled and pulled her close for another hug.

----------

Michiko apparated to the clearing outside of Shigure's house and quickly walked the rest of the way. It was raining heavily and she was quite soaked by the time she knocked on the door. Yuki opened it and she looked at him in concern.

"Is Kyou here? We were supposed to meet at the dojo an hour ago."

"He's not feeling very well, but might enjoy a visit from you." he replied as he opened the door and waved her in.

"Where is he?"

"I'll take you up." he replied as he closed the door. She followed him up the stairs and to the last door on the left. "Don't take anything he says personally. He's not in a very good mood."

"I never do." she responded with a smile and a quick touch to his arm to show her thanks. She tapped on the door and slid it open when she heard a grunt from inside. "Kyou-kun? Are you all right?" she asked as she stepped cautiously into the room.

She peeked around the dark room and spotted a lump on the bed. She left the door open and walked over to the bed. He was curled up and looked pathetic. He was in his usual black t-shirt and cargo pants with bare feet.

"Hey." she said as she stepped into his line of sight.

He looked over sluggishly before closing his eyes. She reached out tentatively and ran a hand over his head. "You look terrible, Kyou-kun. What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

"I hate the rain." he replied slowly.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"It makes me tired."

"Why?"

"I don't know." he replied with the slightest trace of his usual irritability.

"Would you like some company or anything to eat or drink?" she asked solicitously.

He jerked a shoulder in a half-hearted response. She smiled gently as she climbed onto the bed and shoved him over to make room. Michiko shifted him around until they were sitting side by side and she had her hand buried in his soft orange hair. She started humming a gentle melody as she rubbed Kyou's head and back.

After several minutes Kyou spoke irritably, "Are you going to say anything?"

"No. I was going to let you rest for a while and see if you perked up."

"So, you're just going to sit there?"

"Do you want me to talk? If so, what would you like to talk about?"

"No. It's just weird."

She shrugged carelessly, "If you say so."

"What's with you and Hatori?" he asked finally. He's been wondering why Hatori's scent had been getting so strong at her apartment for the last few weeks.

"What do you mean?"

"He's over at your place all the time. Why?"

"We like to talk healing so he comes over once or twice a week for dinner."

"Talk healing? Are you going to become a doctor or something?"

"Not exactly. I'm head medic at my office and it's nice to trade notes with someone that does things a bit differently."

"Differently? How many different ways can you put in stitches? And why does your office need a medic anyway?"

"I don't use scientific medicine like Hatori. I use energy healing instead."

He worked up the energy to sneer at her, "You can't heal with energy."

She lifted a brow, "Oh no?"

"No."

She poked the bruise on his cheek and he winced. "Wanna bet?"

He growled lightly and tried to sluggishly bat her hand away. "No."

She smiled down at him and ran a fingertip over the bruise before poking it again. He winced reflexively then frowned when the expected pain did not register.

"Huh."

Michiko giggled, "That's probably the most low key response to that revelation I have ever received."

He shrugged a little, "I've seen weirder things than that."

"You'll have to tell me about them sometime."

"Maybe."

They settled into silence once more and Michiko continued to pet his head while channeling energy into him. There was a tap on the door and Hatsuharu poked his head in. He smiled happily as he entered the room. "I thought I might find you here."

"Sorry, am I late?" she asked quietly as she returned the grin.

"Yeah. I forgot to tell you that Kyou never goes out in the rain if he can help it."

"Well, we'll see if we can't change that one day." she replied before leaning over a giving Kyou a quick kiss on the cheek and hopping off the bed.

He flinched away and scrubbed his cheek with the back of his hand while giving her a disgusted look. "What'd you do that for?"

She grinned, "To make you move."

He glared at her before dropping his head back down to the pillow. "Whatever. Are you going home now?"

"Do you want more company?"

"No. Haru, you're walking her home, right?"

"Of course." Haru replied as he wrapped his arm around Michiko's waist and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Let's go, Mi-chan."

She smiled at Kyou, "I hope you feel better soon so we can spar."

He frowned at her, "Yeah. Any day it's not raining."

"All right. See you later."

"Bye, Mi." Kyou watched them leave thoughtfully. They really did seem well suited and it would be terrible if Haru was only hanging around with her until Isuzu changed her mind. Not that he cared. Okay, that was a total lie. He cared, a lot, and he'd kick Haru's ass if that's all he was doing. As he thought about it more he decided that maybe the ushi really did care about Michiko and wouldn't go back to Isuzu even if she wanted him. He shifted around until he was comfortable and stared moodily out the window for a while before a soft tap sounded on the doorframe. "What?"

"I-I was just wondering if Kyou-kun would like some company?" Tohru asked softly.

He rolled over and crimson eyes locked with blue, "No." he saw her start to back out and continued, "I wouldn't mind."

She smiled shyly before walking across the room and taking a seat next to him on the bed, "How are you feeling? I know you hate the rain."

He gave a half hearted shrug, "I'm tired."

"I should go and let you sleep. I'm sorry." she said in a rush.

Kyou reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could get very far, "Stay."

She immediately returned to her spot next to him, "Are you sure? I can go."

"I'm sure. Just sit next to me for a while, okay? You can space out if you want."

She settled next to him and blushed when his fingers twined with hers. "Can I go with you next time you spar with Michiko and Haru and Yuki?"

"Why?"

"You like sparring with them so much and I want to know more about what you like." she said with another blush. "Maybe you could teach me?"

He looked at her doubtfully, "I don't know. You could get hurt. And you wouldn't be able to space out either."

Tohru blinked at him, "What?"

He rolled his eyes, clearly she had been imagining herself as a master martial artist or something. Already off to a bad start. "We'll see. It's dangerous and you could get hurt."

"Michiko does it and she doesn't get hurt. Well, that one time, but all of you wouldn't fight with me at the same time, right? Oh, if you did I don't think I could do it."

He sighed, "We only fight one on one. And probably only she would be willing to spar with you since she's close to your size."

"Will you ask her? Or maybe I should. It would be strange for you to ask for me, wouldn't it?"

"We can ask her next time we see her." he offered.

She squeezed his hand, "Thank you. I want to share something with you that you like."

"You already are." Tohru looked at him blankly so he elaborated, "You're sitting here with me right now . . . and I _like_ it."

He got a heart stopping smile for that and couldn't help but return it. Sitting with her while it rained wasn't so bad. In fact, he hoped she had the day off next time it rained too.

----------

Kyou walked into the dojo and reluctantly pulled Tohru in behind him. The others greeted them as they continued their stretches. He gave her hand a squeeze before joining them. "Sit over there and don't move."

"Are you here to watch, Tohru-chan?" Michiko asked with a smile.

"Yes. I know all of you enjoy sparring so much and I wanted to see how you did it." she replied as she took a seat near the wall. Michiko nodded and the four continued with their stretching before moving onto katas. Once warmed up, they paired off with Kyou against Michiko and Yuki against Haru. It seemed to be the least likely set up to end in bloodshed.

Kyou kept constant watch on Tohru and his sparring suffered for it. Finally, Michiko decked him and sent him tumbling to the floor. His gaze snapped to her and she shook her head as she gave him a hand up. "If you're going to spar, you need to pay attention. We're all sufficiently skilled to not harm her by accident."

He flushed and returned his attention to the fight. "Would you be willing to teach her how to spar?"

"Tohru?"

"Who else?"

Michiko considered the question while they passed through Haru and Yuki's match and caught them by surprise when they hit them on the way by. They shook their heads at the pair's matching grins and went back to the fight.

"I suppose I could. Will you be able to not hover while I do?"

"I don't hover."

"Of course not. Can you hold still and not interfere?"

He glanced over at the girl in question and she scored another point off him. "You're making this too easy. Shouldn't you be showing off for the lady fair or something?"

"I don't show off!"

"Of course not. I'm winning, you know."

He calculated the score in his head and realized she was right. Kyou growled a little and got back into it. Several minutes later he had mostly caught up.

"Very good."

"What?! I'm not five. I don't need to be told when I do good."

She smirked a little, "Well, you were having so much trouble I just wanted to make sure you knew you were doing better."

"Shut up."

"Spar properly."

The cat forced his mind away from the girl against the wall and concentrated on the match at hand. When Yuki and Haru came around they were able to block them and she grinned at him once they'd passed.

"So, will you?"

"I suppose I can try. Did you warn her against spacing out?"

"Yeah."

"I think you should warn her again."

He looked over to see Tohru clearly spaced out as she sat against the wall and sighed. "Yeah."

"You guys hungry?" Haru asked from across the room.

Nods all around so they quit and Michiko walked over to Tohru with Kyou hot on her heels. "Hi, Tohru-chan. Did you enjoy watching?"

"Yes. All of you fight so well. Will you teach me?"

Michiko smothered a giggle at Yuki and Haru's shocked looks. "Sure, but you have to promise to pay attention. No spacing out."

"I promise."


	14. Sleep Over

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 14 – Sleep Over

Uo, Hana, Tohru, Yuki, Kyou, and Haru were standing in a loose group chatting when Michiko strolled over to pick up Haru.

She smiled at the group. "I got out of work early and thought I'd stop by to see what you were doing this afternoon?" Michiko asked, including the group in her question.

Hana studied her for a moment, "You have very interesting electrical waves."

Michiko smiled cautiously, "Thank you?"

Uo spoke up, "Tohru has mentioned you several times, Michiko-san. We would like to spend time with you to make sure you are a good influence on her."

Michiko blinked at the girl's straight-forward manner but nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Tohru excitedly asked, "Yuki, do you think it would be okay for my friends to come over this afternoon?"

Yuki smiled at her excitement, "Of course, Miss Honda. You're friends are always welcome."

The group set off together, walking at a leisurely pace, chatting all the way there.

Hana studied each person in turn and noticed that of all of them Michiko and Kyou both kept a close eye on their surroundings as if they were worried someone might bother them. She remembered Tohru mentioning that Michiko had been hurt by a group of boys and decided they must be keeping an eye out for further trouble. But why were they still worried when Tohru had also mentioned the boys were in jail?

They walked into the house and looked around for Shigure. He was locked in his study, actually working for a change. Tohru went into the kitchen to make tea while the others discussed what they'd like to do.

"We should play Rich Man, Poor Man." Hana suggested.

"You're going down!" Kyou yelled at Uo, who laughed at him.

"Bring it on, Carrot-top!" she yelled back.

Tohru poured the tea and Hana started dealing the cards. The chatted about this and that while Hana wiped the floor with them and Kyou and Uo fought about the cards. Michiko joined in the laughter, happy to be part of the group.

It had gotten late when Hana spoke up. "We haven't had much girl time, lately."

Michiko got the sense that the girl had a purpose in that statement while Tohru and Uo agreed with her.

"Well, you three are welcome to come over any time if you want." Michiko offered cautiously.

"Wonderful. Would tonight be too soon?" Hana asked softly.

Michiko blinked, "Um, no. I just went shopping so there's plenty to eat."

Uo spoke up, "Are you sure it's no trouble?"

"No trouble at all. I don't remember the last time I spent time just with girls. It will be nice for a chance to relax." That wasn't entirely a lie as she had never spent time with just girls and she imagined it would be a nice chance to relax.

"Then it's settled. Tohru, do you need help packing an overnight bag?" Uo asked her.

"No, I'll be back in a couple minutes." She dashed up the stairs, excited that all of her friends wanted to spend time together.

"Would you like us to walk with you, Sato-san?" Yuki asked.

"We'll be fine, Yuki-san. Don't worry about us."

A few minutes later they left the house and headed for Uo's and Hana's so they could pick up some clothes as well.

Kyou looked at Yuki and Haru. "Why are you two just standing there? Are you really going to let four girls walk all over town by themselves?" He walked out the door and started following them at a distance. Yuki and Haru glanced at each other before shrugging and following.

After they had stopped at Hana's and Uo's to get their clothes Michiko giggled, "The guys are still following us."

"It's so sweet how they think we can't take care of ourselves." Uo said with an edge of sarcasm and a pat to her lead pipe.

"But it is sweet that they worry enough to make sure we get there safely." Tohru said. "After those boys hurt Michiko, they won't let either of us go anywhere alone."

Uo and Hana shared a glance. "Is that why Kyou is always around these days?"

Michiko smiled mischievously, "I don't think that's the only reason." She turned around and waved at the skulking boys, "You may as well walk with us as behind us."

They slowly ambled over and Haru kissed her nose, "How did you know we were there?"

She scoffed, "I would have to be deaf and blind to have not known. Stealth 101, look it up."

Meanwhile, Tohru was smiling up at Kyou, "You followed us to make sure we arrived safely?"

"No. I was bored and wanted to go for a walk."

She tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for worrying about me."

He blushed but didn't deny it again. He reached for her hand instead, "Well? Are you guys going to stand on the sidewalk all night or go to Michiko's?"

Haru grabbed Michiko's and Yuki's hands and pulled them along.

"Haru, let go. Really, stop." Yuki demanded as he tried to tug his hand free, to no avail.

Uo came up on his other side and linked arms with him, "What's the matter, Yuki-kun? Don't you like holding hands with Haru?"

Yuki sighed and let it go, hoping they would get bored or there quickly.

----------

Uo smiled as Michiko closed the door after the boys. "Finally! Girl time. What do we want to do?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'll make some tea and find something to eat while you three decide." Michiko said.

"Okay." Uo agreed and turned to the other two. "Well, girls?"

"Cards?" from Hana.

"Movies?" from Tohru.

"Truth or dare?" from Uo, with a wicked gleam.

"Truth or dare would be an excellent way to find out more about Michiko." Hana stated.

"Truth or dare it is."

Michiko came back with a tray of tea and snacks and set it on the coffee table. "So, what will it be, ladies?" she asked as she poured tea for everyone.

"Truth or dare." Uo stated, happily.

"Okay." Michiko agreed, hoping the dares weren't too much or the truths too deep. "Who's first?"

"I am." Uo said. "Michiko-san, truth or dare?"

"Um, truth?" she had overheard the comment Hana made.

"What's the deal with you being on your own so young?"

"The deal?" she asked blankly.

"Yeah. Tohru said you're only eighteen, but you have your own apartment and a good job. Why?"

"Well, my parents and I didn't get along so I finished school as early as I could and moved out. One of my teachers worked with my first boss and recommended me. He hired me right out of school. Hana-chan, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

And so it continued for quite some time. There was howling at the moon, walking down the hall in a state of semi-dress, writing love letters, and the telling of many small secrets.

----------

The girls had ended up doing all three of the initial suggestions at one point or another during the evening and as a result they did not fall asleep until dawn, sprawled all over the living room furniture. When the boys came knocking around ten Michiko dragged herself out of the chair she was curled in before the maniac at the door could wake the others.

She yanked open the door, ready to yell, and saw Haru, Kyou, and Yuki standing outside the door. "What are you three doing here at this ungodly hour of the morning?" she asked.

"Ungodly? It's ten o'clock in the morning." Kyou informed her.

She blinked at him tiredly, and made no response.

"Were the three of you up all night eating chocolate and causing trouble?" Haru teased.

"I think the sun was coming up when we finally went to sleep." she responded, still more asleep than awake.

Yuki indicated to the boxes their arms, "We brought you coffee and breakfast."

"Yo! I smell coffee and hear boy voices. What's going on over there?" Uo yelled.

Michiko stepped back and saw all three girls sitting up and looking over at the doorway. "They brought us breakfast."

Uo ambled over and took stock, "Looks like there are seven cups here. Were you boys planning on staying?"

"We were hoping you would let us eat with you. Yuki tried to cook breakfast this morning and lit the kitchen on fire. We left before Shigure could see the damage." Haru explained.

Uo, Tohru, and Michiko started giggling and even Hana had to smile at the thought of Yuki burning breakfast badly enough that they would need to leave the house in fear of Shigure's response.

"Well, since you brought it, it's only fair we allow you to stay and help us eat it." Hana said.

Michiko stepped back and allowed the boys to enter. "Come in and be welcome."

"Good morning, ladies." Haru said to the girls before giving Michiko a kiss on the cheek, to a chorus of good mornings and wolf-whistles.

Kyou nodded at the girls and sat next to Tohru, who rested her head against his shoulder. Yuki stood a bit to the side until Michiko pushed him closer to the group.

"Let me just get these out of here and you can put everything on the coffee table." Michiko stacked up the myriad of dishes on the coffee table and tried to lift them all. Kyou reached out to steady them as they started to slide.

"Thanks." she said as she put them back down and picked up just the top half of the stack. "I'll be right back for the rest of those."

"Let me help." Tohru said as she jumped up and grabbed the rest.

"Thanks, Tohru-chan." She led the other girl into the kitchen and placed the dishes on the counter. "I'll wash them later. Don't worry about them. Let's get some breakfast."

Michiko grabbed Tohru's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen before she could start washing up. She pushed her over to Kyou who took her hand and pulled her down next to him. He handed her a coffee cup and pastry before she could argue. Haru did the same with Michiko and soon the seven were cheerfully chatting and eating pastries.

After breakfast everyone but Haru left to work and do whatever they did on Saturdays. Michiko and Haru cleaned up the trash and washed the dishes together. Once they were done they went into the living room and snuggled on the couch for a while.

"Oh. I meant to give this to you yesterday, but forgot with all the excitement." Michiko reached over to the coffee table and picked up a key. "So you can come by anytime." she said as she handed it to Haru.

He looked at her in surprise, "You're giving me a key to your apartment?"

She smiled, "Yes, not that you need it. You are always welcome here."

He pulled out his keys and added it to the ring with a smile. "So now you won't tell me I'm welcome when I come over anymore?"

"Of course I will, but it won't matter because you've been given free access. You won't set off my wards and you'll always feel welcome here."

"Set off your wards?"

"Protections to keep people out or let me know when they come in. I added the entrance wards after the incident with the Yankees. You set it off when you went shopping for me."

"What happens when someone sets them off?"

"They turn red when I check them and I know to be careful. I haven't set up anything obvious because if the landlord comes in it would be awkward to explain if he was stuck to the wall or something."

He thought about that for a moment. "Thank you." he replied with a happy grin.

----------

A few days later Michiko and Haru met Yuki and Kyou at the dojo for the long anticipated sparring session between Yuki and Michiko. Haru had finally talked him into sparring with her. Yuki had seen her spar at least once per week, and often more, for the last few months but was still worried he might accidentally injure her. She had asked every week and he had put her off each time. Finally, she had asked Haru to do her dirty work and Yuki had agreed under the condition that she tell him if he hurt her.

"Hi Yuki-san. Are you ready to spar with me today?" Michiko asked enthusiastically.

Yuki looked over at her, "I think so, Sato-san. You'll tell me if I hurt you, won't you?"

Michiko gave him her best fragile girl look, complete with batting lashes, "Of course I will, Yuki-san." She dropped the look and smiled. "Let's hurry up and finish warm ups."

He looked at her sternly, "I mean it, Sato-san. If I hurt you, you have to tell me immediately."

Michiko huffed and turned towards Haru, "Don't distract me this time, okay?"

Haru raised his hands in surrender, "Wouldn't dream of it."

Michiko nodded and returned her attention to Yuki, "There. Now you won't be able to hurt me. Come on, Yuki-san. Please don't fret so much. You'll know if you hurt me." she promised.

He looked at her appraisingly for a moment more before nodding and taking a ready position. They had decided to take advantage of the empty dojo and were again in the main room so both pairs could spar in the same room and switch back and forth as they wished. It made it more fun.

Michiko stepped up opposite and smiled. "I won't have to taunt you into starting will I?" she asked.

Yuki frowned lightly at her before coming after her with a complex series of moves that usually left Haru struggling to stay out of the way. Michiko whooped in delight and dodged them gracefully before mounting a counter attack. Kyou and Haru watched the pair for several minutes before turning towards each other and shrugging.

"Let's go, ushi. You owe me a fight." Kyou said before launching himself at Haru, who grinned and returned the favor.

Soon the dojo was full of the sounds of sparring. They alternated between pairs so all four were able to spar with everyone for some time before Kyou said something that set off Black Haru and their fight turned serious. Michiko and Yuki stopped and looked at the pair in disbelief.

"Did you hear what he said?" Michiko asked.

Yuki shook his head, "I missed it."

They ducked as Haru went flying over their heads, followed by Kyou who looked ready to dish out some serious trouble.

Michiko frowned at them, "Should we stop them?"

"No. It's best to just let them get it out of their system and patch them up when they're done. Which could be hours from now. Would you like to continue sparring in the back room for a while?" he asked.

She smiled, "That sounds like a terrific idea. My chance to spar with you shouldn't be interrupted because of their tempers."

They went into the back room and left the door open so they could keep an ear on the other two while they sparred.

"You are so skilled, Yuki-san. I'm disappointed I've missed so many opportunities to spar with you in the last few months."

Yuki blushed slightly at the praise and shrugged, "It comes naturally, I guess. Kyou and Haru have been practicing much longer than I have. Is it just me, or have you been holding back with them?"

He watched as a blush stained her cheeks. "I am very good at matching my opponent." she replied.

"I had wondered how you managed to knock out half that group."

"I got a lot of practice fighting groups of people. I could probably hold my own against all three of you."

"Why haven't you tried?"

"I had to convince you to spar with me alone before you would consent to a three against one fight against me, ne?"

"True."

They continued sparring until they were both quite tired and very hungry.

"Are you hungry, Sato-san? Perhaps we could get a bite to eat while these two settle their differences." he offered as the pair in question tumbled into a wall, fists flying.

She studied them for a moment more before deciding they would probably stop before killing each other. "Let's go. I don't want to listen to the pair of them argue about inanities anyway."

"We'll bring dinner back for them. Cold." Yuki said before turning and leading her to the door.

Michiko laughed as she followed him, "That's one way to make a statement."

An hour later saw them returning to the dojo to see the pair still at it, full steam.

"Are you kidding me?" Michiko exclaimed. "This is ridiculous. They've been at it for hours. I'm going to stop them."

Yuki placed a firm hand on her arm, "You should let them be. You'll probably get hurt if you try to get between them."

"Don't worry so, Yuki-san. I know how to make them stop without getting in the middle." She watched them until Haru had Kyou pinned again and stepped forward. She yanked him off of Kyou and spun him around and down to her lips before he could react. After kissing him thoroughly, which was enough to scare off Kyou, she pulled back and looked up at him. "Kitty wants to go home. Are you quite finished?" she demanded.

Haru smiled slyly. "With him." he replied before pulling her close for another kiss.

"Okay, that's really enough you two. Get your lips off her already." Kyou said before pulling Haru away from Michiko.

Haru raised a hand to swing at him but Michiko got it first and gave Kyou a shove with her other hand. "If you don't want to watch us kissing, you shouldn't pick fights with my boyfriend that last for hours. Let's get out of here before I have to beat both of you up."

"Like you could." Kyou scoffed.

"You might be surprised." Yuki stated confidently.

"No way she could take us both." Kyou argued while Haru looked at her thoughtfully.

She smiled at him, "Wanna try some time?"

"I wouldn't want you to get hurt." he responded.

"I'd be interested in seeing how she held up against the pair of you." Yuki said.

"Why?" Haru asked.

"I think she'd beat you both."

Haru studied the pair appraisingly, "What did you learn that I don't know?"

Yuki smiled, "Only time will tell. Shall we?"

"Yes." Michiko responded before she pushed Kyou out the door while dragging Haru behind her. "Kyou-kun, Yuki has your dinner. I'm afraid it went cold while we were patiently waiting for the pair of you to finish fighting. Haru, he has your dinner as well, but we'll grab it before going upstairs. You can eat it cold or put it in the microwave."

He pouted at her a bit but she gave him a steely look in return. He swung her up in his arms and tossed her over his shoulder in retaliation. He gave her butt a friendly pat and continued walking down the sidewalk towards their apartment. "Wait until we get home."

She rested her chin on her hand and waved off Kyou. "I was pretty tired anyway. Now I get a free ride home." She reached down and gave Haru a friendly pat, "Keep moving little ushi. Kitten wants to snuggle on the couch."

He growled but picked up the pace. A few minutes later Yuki was handing her Haru's dinner and Kyou was glaring Haru.

"Remember what we talked about, ushi." the neko warned.

"I remember, neko. Now, we're going home. See you later."

"Have a good night you two." Michiko called cheerfully as Haru carried her up the stairs.

Once they were inside Haru put her down and caged her against the door. She allowed him kiss her for several minutes before pulling away from him and smiling.

"Do you really think of this as home?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded, "I have for a long time even when I slept elsewhere. Home is where you are, Kitten."

"It's the same for me. You're staying tonight, ne?"

He chuckled, "You'd have to throw me out to get rid of me. But if you did, I'd just climb through the sliding door again."

"I'm glad." she pulled him down for one more kiss before pushing him away, "Let's get you cleaned up." She pulled him into the bathroom and cleaned up the cuts littering his knuckles and face. "What did Kyou say to make you so angry, anyway?"

He shifted a little before answering, "He said I wasn't good enough for you."

She stopped what she was doing and looked into his eyes, "You know he's wrong. If anything, he probably has it backwards."

"No, he's right, but I still want to be with you."

"Well good because I want to be with you. Now hold still so I can finish bandaging you up and feed you." she instructed.

He watched her through his lashes as she tended his cuts and smiled at how concerned she was. It always made him feel loved when she bandaged him up and he had thought for a while that she would never do it again. _How stupid was that? She'll never leave me for something foolish._ "Promise me something?" he asked.

"Depends on what it is."

"Promise me that if I ever do anything that stupid again, you'll beat some sense into me."

She glanced at him, "Fighting with Kyou isn't that bad."

He gripped her hands. "No. Walking away from you. Promise me you'll never let me do it again."

Michiko paused and looked up at him, "Haru-kun?"

"Please?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Haru. And neither are you." she saw the look in his eye and responded to it, "Very well. I promise if you ever do something so incredibly foolish again, I will yank you back into line and remind you of all the reasons we love each other so much. Is that what you need to know?"

"Yes. Thank you." he reached for her and pressed his forehead against hers for a long moment before releasing her.

She gave his hands and face a critical look before nodding in satisfaction and pulling him back into the living room. "Let's get your dinner warmed up." She flicked her wand out of its holster and tapped the carton of food before handing it to him. "Do you want tea?"

"Just ice water, please." he said as he gingerly took the hot food and settled down at the table to eat his dinner. She rarely used magic around him, even though he knew about it, so it always surprised him when she did it so casually.

After he finished eating they curled together on the couch to watch a movie before going to sleep. He wondered when she might be ready to take their relationship to the next level, but was happy just to have her by his side. He and Rin had never been able to just sleep next to each other. If they were in bed they had to be active. Maybe this was part of the difference between his relationship with her and with Michiko. He was happy doing whatever she wanted and needed nothing more than her smile to light up his day.


	15. Kat?

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :) Borrowed a scene from the anime.

~Tali

Chapter 15 – Kat?

Haru dialed Michiko's number and paced impatiently across Shigure's porch waiting for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Mi-chan? Kisa ran away. Can you help us look for her?" he asked.

"Of course. Where are you?"

"Shigure's."

"I'll be there in two minutes." she clicked off and yanked on her shoes on the way out the door. She Apparated to the clearing outside Shigure's and saw Haru waiting for her. "Sohma Kisa, right?" she asked as rain started pouring down on them.

He nodded and she pulled out her wand. "Track Sohma Kisa." A small light shot out of the tip of her wand and she grabbed his hand and ran after it. They followed it across town to the park, where it stopped over a hedge. Haru knelt beside a small tiger that was hiding underneath the bushes and spoke quietly until she came out and climbed onto his lap. He pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her.

"She's a member of the zodiac too?" Michiko asked in surprise.

He nodded as he stood up and pulled the coat back so Michiko could see her face. "Kisa, this is Michiko. Michiko, this is Kisa."

Michiko stared at her for a moment thinking her eyes looked very familiar before she slowly reached out to scratch Kisa gently behind the ear. She allowed it for a moment before putting her head down and curling into the coat. Michiko put a warming charm on her as she covered her back up.

"What did you do?" Haru asked curiously.

"Warmed her up so she wouldn't catch a cold. Where should we go?"

"Shigure's house." he replied and they started walking slowly through the downpour.

A little while later they spotted Yuki and Tohru sheltering under an awning. "What are you two doing out in the rain?" Yuki asked as he walked over to the couple.

Haru pulled the coat back, "We were looking for someone."

"What a cute kitten!" Tohru exclaimed happily.

"That is Sohma Kisa." Haru explained. Yuki looked at him sharply and he shrugged. "I was going to tell you."

"A member of the zodiac. Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Tohru." she said as she reached out to pet Kisa. The startled tiger bit down on Tohru's fingers and she yelped in surprise.

----------

"Apologize to her. Kisa!" Yuki said from his place at the table to the tiger that was hiding against the wall.

"It's all right." Tohru said as Haru bandaged her hand.

"She can't apologize to you." Shigure chimed in from the doorway.

"She doesn't speak. She hasn't said a word since not long after she started middle school. From what Hatori says, the problem is all in her mind. For some reason she's locked away all of her words. A while after she stopped talking, she stopped going to school, and then today she ran away from home. That's why we went looking for her. By the time we found her she already transformed." Haru explained.

Michiko looked over at the tiger thoughtfully. She knew another girl that didn't speak, and she hadn't seen her in the schoolyard for quite some time now.

"Maybe she ran into a boy?" Tohru offered.

"No, she's under too much stress." Haru replied as he finished bandaging Tohru's hand and started towel drying his hair.

"But, I don't understand. What happened? Why would she act this way all of a sudden?" Yuki asked, confusion written clearly across his features.

"She was picked on." Haru replied before Kisa jumped over and bit into his upper arm. He frowned down at her, "That hurts. What is it? Are you angry now? You think I should just mind my own business, is that it? You made this my business. Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Or your mother? She's still out there looking for you, you know."

Kisa released his arm and ran away. Tohru waffled between patching Haru up and following Kisa for several moments before Shigure spoke up.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Tohru, calm down."

Michiko rested a hand on the bite to heal it so Tohru ran out the door to find Kisa.

Haru glared at Shigure, "You could be worried a little bit."

"You didn't go Black just now did you?" Shigure asked with a nervous chuckle.

"No. It just hurts and I'm annoyed. There's just no getting through to that Kisa." he replied as Michiko finished healing him. They headed out into the rain to renew the search for Kisa. They wouldn't be able to use magic this time as the sparkle of the spell would definitely raise questions if someone found her before they did.

----------

A few hours later found Haru, Michiko, and Shigure sitting around the table drinking tea and talking quietly. Shigure had called them when Tohru, Yuki, and Kisa had gotten back and by the time they arrived at the house they had already gone upstairs and she was asleep. Not wanting to wake her, they stayed downstairs to speak with Shigure for a while.

"So, Blossom, how long have you known about our little secret?" Shigure asked.

"Not very long."

"How did you find out? I'm pretty sure Haru wouldn't have actually told you."

"Technically, he still hasn't told me anything. I hugged him the other day and he turned into an ox." That was not a lie. She had hugged him the other day and he had turned into an ox.

"Weren't you surprised?"

"Very, but I've seen some pretty strange things so when he seemed upset about it I told him he didn't have to explain and I wouldn't tell anyone."

"You just accepted it? I wonder what your secrets are."

"None you need to worry about."

"Flower, I want to know all your secrets."

"That won't be necessary. You only need know that I won't pass anything I know about your family to anyone."

"Oh, blossom, you break my heart."

"It will survive."

"What's Kisa doing here?" Kyou asked as he walked into the room.

"Her mother reached a breaking point today and so they are going to take some time apart." Haru said before he looked over at Michiko, "We should head home. It's getting late."

"Does this mean if we need to find you, you'll be at Michiko's house tonight?" Shigure asked.

Kyou glared daggers at Haru when he nodded. Michiko frowned lightly at Kyou before they made their goodbyes and headed to the clearing to Apparate home.

----------

"Ha'ri, what do you know about Michiko?" Shigure asked seriously when the doctor entered his study.

Hatori had just been up to check on Kisa and was a bit surprised by the subject change. "Enough. Why do you ask?"

"She knows about the curse." Shigure replied softly.

Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you certain?"

"She and Haru brought Kisa back while she was in her tiger form." he replied seriously.

"Did you ask how long she's known?" the doctor asked slowly.

"They made it sound like she just found out, but she didn't seem at all unsettled. She's either known about it longer than that or for some reason it didn't surprise her at all. I watched her move around the boys and she was very good at not coming into contact with them except from the side or behind. It seemed like she had a lot of practice."

Hatori rubbed his head for a moment before replying, "I have noticed that before. I suspect she has secrets of her own. Some of the books in her apartment are very unusual. I'll see what I can find out. I'm sure that if she knows about Haru's secret he knows about hers."

Shigure nodded in agreement before redirecting the conversation. "The strangest thing happened today. Kisa bit Haru and instead of bandaging him up Michiko touched it and it went away. I'm certain I saw a bite mark on his arm but when she moved her hand it wasn't there anymore."

Hatori shook his head, "Of course it wasn't. She would have healed it for him." Shigure gave him a blank look and Hatori realized the inu had no idea what he was talking about. "She's an energy healer."

"A what?" he asked.

"She can heal you without stitches and medication. She's been teaching me." he explained.

Shigure's eyes got very wide before his look turned sly, "You've been seeing a high school girl on the side."

The doctor gave him a disgusted look. "If you're going to continue that nonsense I'm leaving."

"No, don't go. You hardly ever visit me any more."

"Then don't insinuate there is anything between Michiko and I other than friendship."

Shigure studied him closely for a long moment before a different kind of smile moved across his face. It wasn't one that Hatori had seen before and he was a little concerned about what it meant. He lifted a brow in irritation.

"You like her." the mutt said.

Hatori stood up with a shake of his head, "I'm leaving, dog."

"No, no, no. I mean you like her like family."

"I don't _like_ my family." he responded impatiently.

"So you love her like your family."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Yes. Your relationship with Haru's blossom. What exactly is it?"

"Teacher and student. Perhaps colleagues."

Shigure grinned at him, "I don't believe you."

"I don't really care." Hatori retorted.

"Of course you do. How angry did you get when I suggested you were seeing her? I don't believe I've seen you have such a strong reaction for a long time. Now I'm just trying to understand since it isn't her obvious charms."

"Keep you eyes off her 'obvious charms' or you will be sorry." the doctor replied in a dangerously low voice.

"You sound like her father." the inu replied with a smirk.

Hatori opened his mouth to reply before deciding there was no reason to discuss this further with the inu. "You are talking nonsense. I'm leaving. Good night, Shigure. Behave yourself."

Shigure watched him leave thoughtfully. He briefly considered telling Ayame, but he decided it would be better to know how protective Hatori was of the girl before pressing his luck. For all he knew, he'd tell Haru some horrible lie and the teen would murder him.

Hatori fumed silently as he drove home. He couldn't believe the dog had said those things about Michiko. Then he realized he was rather angrier than he should be about Shigure's nonsense and stopped to consider why. He and Michiko had been spending a lot of time together and he considered her as much a friend as he did anyone he worked with. There wasn't anything to what Shigure was saying except the inu's usual gibberish – damn hentai. _So why are you swearing at him? _

----------

A few days later Momiji, Haru, Yuki, and Tohru were sitting in a secluded spot during their lunch break and discussing Kisa's situation.

"It's not like Kisa can stay at Shigure's house forever, can she? I wonder what she's going to do? I mean, after this?" Momiji said quietly.

"I bet she's wondering the same thing herself right now, and I'm going to guess she's even more worried about it than we are. Not that she'd ever let you know about it and that's kinda what got her into this mess." Haru replied with a sigh.

"So, what about her mother?" Yuki asked.

"Well, her mother is doing a little better I think. I got a phone call from her yesterday and she wanted to know how Kisa was and if she was eating enough and doing all right." Tohru told them with a smile.

"That's good right? Because her mom is thinking about her at least. Otherwise she wouldn't have bothered to call you." Momiji added.

"That still leaves one question. Why do you think her classmates were picking on her?" Yuki asked.

"Who can say?" Haru answered.

Momiji looked over at them, "I think I know why. I heard some of the adults talking about it at the house. I'm not sure how they found out because Kisa wouldn't tell them either. They said when it started it was cuz of how she looked. You know her hair and her eyes. She looked different from everyone so they made fun of her."

"I guess that's just another part of the zodiac curse for those of us with different colored hair. I used to get made fun of a lot." Haru said as he tugged on a lock of his hair.

"Yes, but when the other kids tried to pick on you, you would go Black and chase them around the school yard." Yuki replied with a half smile.

"It's better than Kyou. He would actually beat them half to death." Haru argued.

Momiji interrupted, "Well, supposedly, Kisa tried to stand up for herself too. She said she couldn't help what color her hair was, but when the other kids saw they couldn't get to her they all started to ignore her. After that, any time Kisa would try to say anything they would stop ignoring her just long enough to laugh at her. They started making fun of everything she said. I guess I never had anything like that happen to me in my class so I can only imagine what it must have been like for her. I imagine how I would feel if I got laughed at every time I tried to say something. How I would feel if no one ever listened to me. And well, when I do, it makes me very sad."

Haru stood up as the bell rung. "Yuki, I'm going to go to Shigure's with you after school. I have to deliver something."

"What is it?" Yuki asked.

"A letter from Kisa's homeroom teacher just came. We'll probably want to gag when we read it." Haru said as he held it up and walked away with Momiji hot on his heels.

"You know, growing up we're told we have to be strong. We're told that in this world it's the survival of the fittest, but I don't think that's right. We're people, we're not animals. Shouldn't it be okay to feel weak sometimes even for a member of the zodiac? Aren't we people?" Yuki asked in a voice raw with pain.

"You are." Tohru said as she placed a gentle hand on his back.

----------

Haru was squatted down next to where Kisa was sitting on Shigure's porch nervously playing with her bracelet, which looked suspiciously like a necklace wrapped several times around her wrist. Yuki leaned against the rail to listen as Haru plucked the letter out of her hands and began to read, voice heavy with sarcasm at his interjections. Had Yuki not been watching he would have thought Haru had gone Black.

"Dear Kisa, I hope this letter finds you well and I hope you are thinking about coming back to school – because that's going to be so much fun for her. We all miss you very much and I know your classmates are anxiously awaiting your return – of course they are, they must be bored with no one to harass. The rest of your teachers and myself are here to help you in any way that we can and to welcome you back into the group with open arms – if that was the case how did we end up here? If you are not comfortable speaking with us, I'm certain your friend Michiko" Haru stumbled for a moment over the name before continuing, "would be happy to help you in any way she can. More than anything Kisa it is my hope that you will soon learn to feel good about yourself – no thanks to your help or guidance. I believe you will come to find you do have many good qualities – of course she does. Our Kisa is perfect. That is my wish for you. There's no way for a person who dislikes themselves to be liked by others, is there?" He paused for a moment, "Huh, it really does make you want to gag."

Yuki glared at the letter, "I hope you will learn to feel good about yourself. What is that supposed to mean? How are you supposed to find these good qualities I wonder, if the reason you don't feel good about yourself is because all you can find are qualities you don't like? I don't think you can. Not like that, that's not how it works. I think what it takes is for someone else to say I like you. That's the only way you can truly begin to like yourself. When someone else accepts you that's when you begin to see yourself through their eyes and you begin to realize that there may actually be many qualities to like about yourself." He paused and turned towards Kisa, "Kisa, we love you. We love you very much. That's really all we can do. But maybe if you know we see all of these good qualities in you maybe that will help you to see them in yourself."

"Mm-hmm." Kisa said after a long pause.

Haru pulled her into a tight hug. "It's beautiful. It's been so long since we heard your voice."

"Kat?" came a worried voice from the edge of the woods as Haru released Kisa. "There you are. I was worried about you."

They watched in surprise as Kisa ran over to Michiko, who knelt down and hugged her tightly. When she released her she said something quietly and at Kisa's nod they looked at each other intently for several moments without saying anything before Michiko grinned and hugged her again. She stood and they walked over to the others.

"When did you meet Kisa?" Yuki asked curiously.

"The same day Kyou and I sparred for the first time." she replied. "I didn't know her name so I've been calling her Kat because of her hair and eyes. I didn't realize she was the one we were looking for the other day. I just thought I missed her so I was seeing her in others."

"Why were you looking at each other so closely just now?" he questioned.

"I haven't seen her since last month. I've been worried about her and had to see for myself that she was okay." she replied evasively.

"How did you two meet?" Haru asked.

Michiko frowned at him, "I was walking by the school and there was a group of kids hassling her. I intervened on her behalf and sat with her for a while."

Kisa gave a small giggle. "She called them brats and scared them away."

Michiko's head whipped around at the sound of the girl's voice and she pulled her into an enthusiastic hug. "You have a beautiful voice, Kat. I'm so happy you finally let me hear it."

Kisa smiled happily and returned the hug. When Michiko released her she smiled again, "If it's okay with your mom, do you want to come over some time? We could watch movies. Just us girls or with the boys or whatever."

"I'd like that." Kisa replied with a gentle smile.

"Your voice is beautiful." Michiko said again as she pulled her into a four way huddle with the boys. Yuki blushed a little but Haru just grinned at them.

----------

"Why are we here watching movies instead of at home?" Hiro groused to Kisa as they settled on the couch in Michiko's apartment.

Kisa looked over at Hiro with a soft smile, "Because she's my friend and I think you'd like her if you got to know her better."

Hiro gave her a look that made it clear he was withholding judgment. "Why would I want to get to know her better?"

"She was nice to me." Kisa said quietly. "Please give her a chance, Hiro."

The boy studied her for a long moment before finally nodding. "All right."

Michiko and Haru came into the living room bearing snacks and drinks for them all. They set them out on the coffee table before curling into the couch together.

"Ready?" Michiko asked brightly.

Hiro glared at her, "Why are you sitting so close to him? Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Haru glanced over at the boy, "Yes, and you should try to be polite when you're speaking with her."

Michiko just watched him with an amused expression, "It's fine, Haru-kun. He's angry and needs an outlet. Until he finds one he's going to be snappy. Maybe he should speak with Tohru, she's much better at helping people with their problems than we are."

Haru shrugged, "In that case, let's start the movie so he's too distracted to be rude." He heard the soft sound of annoyance Hiro made and turned to grin at him before starting the movie.

Michiko alternated between watching the movie and the kids from the corner of her eye. She thought it was terribly sweet how Hiro fidgeted until Kisa reached over to take his hand. When she rested her cheek against his shoulder, he looked like he had died and gone to heaven. _He's not so bad. A bit of an abrasive personality, but that's not so bad. And he clearly loves Kisa dearly._

When Kisa's glass was empty, Hiro snatched it from the table before Michiko could pick it up and followed her into the kitchen. She pulled the bottle of soda out of the refrigerator without comment and handed it to him so he could fill the glass. When he was done he gave it back without looking at her and returned to the living room. Michiko managed to smother her snickers until she caught Haru's eye then she had to turn away or laugh. Hiro glanced between them darkly but smiled when Kisa softly thanked him.

When the movie was over Hiro stood and looked at his watch pointedly. "We should get home."

"We'll walk you." Haru said with a smile as he reached for Kisa and Michiko's hands.

"Thank you for having us over. It's nice to get to know the girl that made you smile so easily." Kisa said to Haru as they walked down the street together. He released her hand to pull her against his side for a half hug.

"I'm glad she has a chance to get to know you, too." he replied before letting her go and taking her hand again.

"Are you sure you should be dating a Yankee?" Hiro asked.

The three looked at him in surprise. Kisa asked "What are you talking about, Hiro?"

"Her hair has purple stripes, she's wearing a long skirt, and she looks like trouble."

Michiko grinned at him, "If you think I'm a Yankee, why are you speaking so disrespectfully? You should be worried I'll wipe the floor with you, little one. Besides, Haru looks like a troublemaker so we make a good match."

Kisa smiled at the couple, "I think you do make a good match. We won't say anything."

Haru glanced down at her, "Don't lie or get yourself in trouble to protect me."

Kisa shrugged, "You're just friends. You sat in the chair across from her the whole time."

Hiro looked ready to disagree but must have realized that if it came up and his story was different she would be in trouble. Haru pulled her to a stop and knelt in front of her.

"Don't lie to protect me. It would kill me if you got hurt because of me. Tell the truth if he asks and don't worry. I can take care of myself."

"But what if he hurts you?" she asked quietly.

"Michiko will heal me." he replied immediately.

"What if he hurts you as bad as Hatori?"

"She'll still be able to heal me. Don't worry."

"How is she going to heal you any better than Hatori can?" Hiro demanded.

Michiko looked down at him and winked, "Magic."

He scoffed at her but she just smiled easily, though if you looked below the surface you could see her tension. Haru saw and understood it. He stood and spoke against her ear, "We'll protect them. We always do."

They finally got to the gates of the main house and Haru stopped. "This is as far as I go. I need to walk Michiko back to her house."

Kisa hugged them both and Hiro grudgingly bowed to Michiko. "You didn't have to lie to me, you know."

"Ask me again sometime and I'll tell you the truth." she replied with a grin as she returned the bow.

The two kids watched the older teens walk away before heading home. They were halfway there when Hatori spoke from the shadows, "Where's Haru?"

"Walking Michiko home." Kisa replied with a smile.

"Did he say when he'd be back?"

They shook their heads. "I'm sorry, Hatori. I didn't think to ask."

He smiled slightly at the girl, "It's all right, Kisa. Go home now so your mother doesn't worry."

She nodded and held Hiro's hand as they headed across the grounds. Hatori lit a cigarette as he wondered what he was going to do. Akito had started asking questions he would rather not answer. Haru's parents had just gotten home and he was certain they weren't going to approve. He sighed and sent Haru a text letting him know he needed to make an appearance at home. One thing that had drastically improved after the teen started dating Michiko was his keeping his phone charged. He hadn't had to swap out batteries so he could keep track of him for quite a while now. His phone buzzed with Haru's reply and he walked over to Haru's house to let his parents know he would be home in about half an hour.


	16. Trouble

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :) Repurposed a scene from the anime.

~Tali

Chapter 16 - Trouble

Kyou, Yuki, Tohru, and Momiji hurried down the hallway while the rabbit breathlessly explained what happened.

"I don't know what set him off. He seemed kinda grumpy the last few days and then suddenly he was tearing the classroom apart. Everyone ran out of the room and I came to find you guys."

They came to a stop in front of a broken out window and peeked through it to see Haru standing stiffly across the room with his back to them. Every inch of him radiated anger so strong they could almost see it pulsing off him in waves. He turned his head slightly so he could see them and they could see the violence in his eyes.

Ever the one to start a fight Kyou yelled through the broken window, "Hey, Haru! What do you think you're doing, huh?"

Yuki rolled his eyes before studying his friend and trying to puzzle out what had set him off. "Haru?"

"What? Why are you guys bothering me anyway? Are you looking for a fight? If so, you better be ready." he growled.

Kyou nodded and stepped closer, "You're such a pain in the ass. Why do you gotta go around destroying stuff anyway?"

Haru moved closer as well and Tohru, spotting a fight, moved between them. "Haru-san, Kyou-kun. Please don't fight in the classroom."

Haru grabbed her arm tightly, "And why not, little Tohru? Are you afraid of what might happen if we do? Do you think our secret might get out? Maybe it would be better if it did."

"That is quite enough, Haru." came a firm voice from the doorway.

They all looked over and saw a breathless Michiko standing in the doorway watching him closely. She moved forward until she was invading his space and peeled his fingers off of Tohru's arm. "I said that's enough." she repeated.

"Why should I listen to you?" he demanded as rage continued to dance along his skin. He glared and wrapped his hands around her upper arms in an unbreakable grip. She stood still and looked up at him calmly. _I'm tired of listening to other people. They just tell me what to do and expect me to do it because they say so. They don't care about what I want, only what they think is socially acceptable._

"The better question is: Why wouldn't you?" she returned maintaining a calm demeanor through the pain from his grip.

He gave her a little shake, "Don't play with me." _Fuck your little games, I'm not interested in playing them any longer. I don't care who you are._

Kyou moved to intervene and Haru blocked him. He moved to swing at him again but Michiko reached out awkwardly and took his wrist. "I'm fine, Kyou."

"No, you're not. I can see he's squeezing your arms way too tight."

"I'm fine. Why don't you check on Tohru and make sure her arm is okay while I talk to Haru?" the older girl requested softly. He glared at her for a moment but stepped over to Tohru as requested. Michiko returned her attention to Haru, "Are you ready to tell me what's upset you so?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Why do you think I'm upset? Can't a guy get a little violent without someone thinking he's upset? Maybe I just have too much pent up aggression."

Michiko raised a brow, "I fail to see how that's possible when we spar several hours a week." She moved to her tiptoes so she could look him directly in the eyes, "Please tell me what happened, Haru-kun."

He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love and concern for him. _Why do they insist I give this up? I can't. I won't. No one can make me, not even Akito. I will not let her go!_ The darkness within him receded the tiniest bit and he replied, "It's nothing. Just some stupid people saying stupid things is all."

"Haru-kun, if that were true, you wouldn't have destroyed the classroom. It's obviously something serious. Would you like to go home and talk about it?"

_Home. That's right. She's my home. Never going to give her up. She's mine. _He felt the darkness receding more willingly. He released her arms and rubbed them for a long moment in apology for the pain he knew she must be feeling because of him. "Yeah. Let's go."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." came a woman's voice from the doorway. "I need to call your parents and speak with them about this incident."

Haru looked down at the floor and nodded. He felt Michiko squeeze his hand before letting it go. He missed the sly smile that moved across her face as she stepped away. He looked up a moment later and she was gone.

"Are you all right, Haru?" Yuki asked quietly.

He sighed, "Yeah, I am. Just irritated with my parents is all."

"What happened?"

"I told them about Michiko and my mother insisted I stop seeing her immediately or face the consequences. I told her no and she tried to insist until I started to get angry. She finally stopped saying it outright, but she's still dropping hints."

"Why doesn't she want you seeing Sato-san?"

"Because according to mother, she's low class." Haru replied as he walked away.

"That's ridiculous." Yuki fell into step beside him, "Where are you going?"

"It's going to take her at least an hour to get her make up and hair fixed so I thought I'd kill some time."

They wandered around for a little while until another woman's voice interrupted them. The pair looked up in surprise as Haru's mother, glaring lightly at them, strode over with the teacher in tow. Her makeup was perfect, but her bun was slightly askew and tendrils blew free around her face.

"Hatsuharu! We are going to discuss your behavior at length when we get home. Let's go." she commanded with barely a glance at Yuki.

"Mom. I didn't expect to see you here so soon." he drawled with a slight smile tugging his lips. Yuki saw this and gave him a puzzled frown before returning his attention to the slightly less than perfect image Haru's mother was presenting. He had always been sorry Haru's mother was so much like his own and seeing her less than perfectly presented was surprising. In Haru's place, he'd have been more worried than amused at this out of character behavior.

"The school called and said you destroyed a classroom, of course I hurried over here." she replied and she gestured for him to get up and get moving. "You're in a lot of trouble, young man."

He nodded goodbye to Yuki and the teacher before turning and following her off the school grounds. Once out of sight of everyone he spun her around and kissed her soundly before making an unsettled face. "On second thought, would you at least change your face? That was weird."

Michiko's face, framed by his mother's hair in an unacceptably messy bun, smiled up at him. "How did you know? I thought it was pretty good."

He smirked, "If you actually knew my mother you would know that she never sets foot outside the door without her hair, make up, and clothes being perfect in every way. How did you know what she looks like?"

Michiko made a disgusted face, "How time consuming and pointless. No offense. Anyway, you have a picture of her in your wallet."

He smiled slightly, "None taken. Is she going to show up here later?"

"No, I intercepted the call so no one knows."

He smiled slightly, "Let's go home, okay? I just want to be with you for a while."

She smiled up at him and took his arm so he could lead her home.

----------

A few days later Michiko was sitting on the couch leafing idly through one of her books when Haru walked in. She jumped up to greet him and found herself pinned to the wall.

She flushed and smiled up at him, "Hi. What's up?"

He growled lightly and started running kisses down her neck. She tried to wiggle free and his grip tightened painfully.

"Haru, take is easy."

"Don't tell me what to do." he growled and pressed his body against hers.

"Haru!" she tried again to wiggle free. "What's gotten into you?"

"You're mine."

"Well, I'm not going to entirely disagree with you, but you're hurting me, Haru. Please ease up, okay?"

"No." he pushed one of his legs between hers.

"Haru! Stop! Please."

"I don't want to." he growled.

Michiko started crying. "Haru, please. Look at me. Think about what you're doing. Please, not like this."

"I thought you weren't scared of me?"

"I'm not. But if I have to stop you instead of you stopping yourself it's going to destroy our relationship. I love you. Please don't do this."

His grip loosened fractionally but he didn't move or speak. Michiko looked into his eyes and saw them flickering between gray and black. She reached forward and gently placed her hands on his hips, "I've been thinking about it, Haru, and I really want to. Just a little longer?"

He shuddered and relaxed, "Okay." He tugged her over to the couch and pulled her against his side. "I'm sorry. It was a rough day."

"It happens. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." he replied acidly. His grip around her tightened and he buried his face in her hair with a soul-deep sigh.

"Let me know if you change your mind." she replied easily, worry showing clearly in her eyes along with an unwillingness to push him too far at that moment. Had he seen it, he would have been more disgusted with himself than he already was. He didn't know why he was letting other people rule him, but was upset that he couldn't seem to stop it. Belatedly, he realized he was remembering more of what happened when he went Black. Usually he was so far beyond angry that he couldn't remember anything, but the last few times he at least had flashes. Today he had been able to hold onto what had made him angry regardless of which side of him was dominant. He wondered why that was and how long it had been going on without him realizing it.

----------

The next day Michiko was walking past the park when a girl with long dark hair stepped into her path. She moved to side-step and the girl moved with her.

Michiko looked up at her, "Hello, can I help you with something?" She realized the girl was about her age and quite beautiful. She had that air of sexiness that Michiko sometimes wished she had.

The girl sneered at her, "You need to stay away from Sohma Hatsuharu."

Michiko looked affronted, "I beg your pardon?"

"You need to stay away from Sohma Hatsuharu." she repeated.

Michiko tilted her head, "Why I should listen to you?"

"Because you don't know anything about our family."

"I know that I'm not staying away from Haru unless he tells me to."

"Do you know who I am?" the girl asked angrily.

"Nope."

"I am Sohma Isuzu, Haru's girlfriend."

Michiko smiled at the girl. "You're going to have to do better than that. What exactly do you want to tell me?"

Isuzu glared at her, "I am his girlfriend and you need to stay away from him. He's mine."

Michiko pulled out her cell and dialed Haru, "Hey, something's come up and I'm going to have to cancel tonight. Can we get together tomorrow instead? . . . Perfect, talk to you then." she clicked off and looked at the other girl thoughtfully. "Are you hungry? I'm starving. You're welcome to follow me and I'll buy you dinner or you can stand outside and talk to me through the window. Your choice." She headed down the street and into the noodle shop she and Haru had gone to a while ago.

Isuzu gave Michiko's back a baffled look before following her briskly. _Did she seriously just call Haru to cancel a date and then offer to buy me dinner?_

"Ah, good timing." Michiko turned back to the guy at the counter, "And whatever she wants as well. We'll take it to-go." She paid after Isuzu made her selection with a slightly baffled look on her face.

"Where are we going to take it?" Isuzu asked.

"My place. You seem like someone with a lot to say and there's bound to be a nugget of truth in all your bullshit." Michiko replied cheerfully. She turned and grabbed the bags. "Follow me."

Isuzu stared at the girl. She had told her Haru was her boyfriend and to stay away and the girl was buying her dinner? What kind of lunatic had Haru hooked up with? She was only trying to keep him safe. Akito had noticed he was spending a lot of time away from the main house, especially at night, and had started asking questions. She had a feeling his parents knew something, but they had left town again for a cruise or something and weren't due back for some time – again. They had been in town for less than a week. Hatori had also looked more tense than usual that last time she had seen him, though that could have been because Shigure was following him around muttering something about his beloved child. She shook her head and followed the other girl down the street and into an apartment building.

"Come in and be welcome." Michiko invited. She placed the food on the table and lit some lamps before going into the kitchen to make tea. Once that was done she joined Isuzu at the table and the young women began eating. Or rather, Michiko started eating and Isuzu started poking at her dinner.

"So, are you ready to just tell me or do you want to keep shoveling? You're choice, of course, Isuzu-san." Michiko offered with exaggerated patience. This girl was, after all, claiming her boyfriend was cheating on her. Or rather, that she was the other woman.

"He's mine." Isuzu started, "And you need to stay away from him."

"Shoveling it is then. Please continue."

"What is wrong with you? I just told you that Haru is cheating on you. Does that not bother you at all?"

"I know he's not cheating on me. I trust him completely."

"So, if I were to tell you I was with him just yesterday, what would you say?" Isuzu demanded.

"That now I know why he was in such an odd mood when he got here." Michiko replied thoughtfully.

"Odd mood? Is that what you call it when he cheats on you?"

Michiko sighed quietly, "I know he didn't cheat on me. I believe that you saw him and that you upset him. You're Rin, aren't you?"

"So he has mentioned me." she replied smugly.

"Of course he has. Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind?"

Isuzu growled "I have."

"No, you haven't. You've told me a story, not the purpose that made you seek me out in the first place. Let me help you." Michiko studied the other girl closely until she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You're worried about him. Why?"

"That is none of your business. Just stay away from him." Isuzu snapped before stomping out the door.

Michiko watched the other girl leave before shrugging and returning to her noodles. _I'll have to ask one of the guys about her tomorrow._

----------

The next afternoon Haru was walking towards Michiko's for their movie night. _I wonder what she was up to yesterday?_ He shrugged figuring he'd be able to ask soon enough. He was almost there when someone pushed him against a wall. He looked up and saw Rin staring down at him.

"What are you doing, Rin?" he asked quietly.

"Looking for you." she replied. "Why don't we go catch a movie or something?"

"I'd rather not. I'm on my way to see a friend." he replied evasively, unsure of her motives.

"What friend could be more important than me?" she purred, glancing down the sidewalk.

He tried to push her away but she leaned closer. "What are you doing, Rin? Get away from me."

She took one more look down the sidewalk and saw her quarry coming towards them. She leaned forward and kissed Haru deeply.

----------

Kyou and Michiko had been walking down the sidewalk and he saw what was happening before Michiko did. He stepped in front of her and she had to stop or run into him, "Let's go a different way."

"Kyou-kun, we're almost there and I'm going to be late." She side stepped him and saw what had him so agitated. She saw Rin kissing Haru while he was pressed into the wall and sighed. Kyou went to move but she snagged his arm. "Do not speak. If you can't hold you tongue, walk away quietly."

She strolled casually over to the kissing pair and cleared her throat. Rin slowly pulled away from Haru and smiled at her. "Hello."

----------

Haru looked over as Rin pulled away and saw Michiko standing there quietly. He saw the disappointed expression on her face and felt that other side surge forward as his heart kicked into high gear. He turned towards Rin and shoved her away violently. "Stay away from me!"

He turned towards Michiko desperately and watched as she held a hand up. "Kitten, it wasn't what it looked like." He reached towards her. _No, no, no!_

Kyou stepped between them and opened his mouth to start yelling.

"Kyou." she said quietly as she placed a hand on his arm. He stepped back angrily but held his peace.

"Isuzu-san, are you ready to tell us what's on your mind?"

The other girl snarled and stomped off, muttering about lunatics.

Michiko watched her with a worried frown until Haru grabbed her shoulders. "Kitten?" _Please listen to us. Don't turn away._

She reached out and ran her fingers down his cheek, "Don't fret so, Haru-kun. I spoke with her yesterday. She's worried about you. Is she why you were so upset the other day?"

He nodded. "She came over and started talking about how I should leave you and you could never really love me and she just pissed me off."

She smiled as she held out a hand, "Come on. Kitty's ready to play."

He swung her up into his arms and walked away, leaving Kyou cringing on the sidewalk.

Haru carried her home and into the bedroom and set her down on her feet. "You're sure?" he asked, dark eyes focused on her.

She smiled as she reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Not scared?" he asked.

"I've never been scared of you." she assured him.

**----------**

Haru woke up slowly. He moved to roll over and realized there was someone in bed with him. He opened his eyes cautiously and looked around and saw Michiko's room. He smiled softly and started tying to figure out why he was waking up in Michiko's room. It wasn't that it was unexpected; he just didn't remember falling asleep here. He rolled over so he could see her and realized neither of them had any clothes on. _Huh. Wasn't expecting that._

His movement had woken her up and she smiled as she opened her eyes, "Good morning, Haru."

He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, "Good morning, Mi. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded sleepily, "What about you?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was Rin-" he stopped abruptly.

Michiko studied him thoughtfully, "You know, I don't remember you going back to White before we fell asleep last night."

"So I missed our first time?" he asked vaguely disappointed. Maybe it wasn't getting any better. Or maybe he had been beyond angry and there was no hope of remembering when he was in that condition.

She pulled him over to her, "Here, let me remind you."

Sometime later they glanced up at the clock and Haru realized he had to be in class in ten minutes or the teacher was going to fail him.

"I gotta go. I keep missing my first class and she said if I'm late or miss it again she'll fail me." He tossed on some clothes while Michiko did the same.

"What floor is your class on?" Michiko asked as she snagged his arm before he could bolt out the door.

"Top, why?" he asked tugging gently.

Michiko rolled her eyes, "The fact that I have the ability to instantly transport myself and others to the location of their choice ringing any bells over there?"

"Oh. Right. So, the roof?"

She nodded and they hurried down the block. A moment later they were on the roof. "Is this the right section?"

Haru looked around and nodded. "See you later." he said as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss goodbye.

"Have a nice day, Haru. Try to stay out of trouble." she told him with a grin.

Haru made it to class with about thirty seconds to spare. He took the open seat next to Momiji and gave the rabbit a vague smile, his thoughts elsewhere.

He knew he was young, but that didn't stop him from knowing what he wanted. And that was to be with Michiko for the rest of his life. He knew she was going to be the one to break his curse and decided he'll never know if he doesn't ask. He sat through his classes impatiently and with his mind farther afield than usual.

When the bell finally rang he left class without even a glace at Momiji and headed into the center of town to find a bank and check his balance. Luckily that was one of the places he and Michiko had added to the GPS so he didn't waste any time getting there. He then walked around until he found a likely looking jewelry store. He meandered around the store looking for just the right ring but none of them seemed to be quite right for her.

He caught the saleslady's eye and she came over doubtfully. "May I place a special order?"

She studied him for a moment before answering, "Yes, but you'll need to put half down when you place the order."

"That's fine." He pulled out a notebook and pencil and sketched out what he had in mind. "Can I get something like this?"

She looked it over, impressed by the quick sketch and the design. It was of a yin and yang type pattern, but gently swirled together at the center instead of kept separate. "I don't see why not. Did you see this somewhere else or design it yourself?"

"She inspired it." He made his own jewelry but this was something that he wanted to last for decades so took it to a professional.

"Very nice work. Okay, what size do you want these stones in the middle to be?" she asked getting down to business.

The discussed the details of the design for a while before both were satisfied with the composition and price. Haru had been around enough quality jewelry to know his way around and was pleased to be getting exactly what he wanted for a fair price. He handed over his card to the woman.

"It will be ready in about a week." she said happily. "See you then."

"Thank you." he replied as he accepted the card and tucked it into his wallet before heading out the door.

He spotted Kyou at the same time the neko spotted him and watched as he walked over.

"You lost again, ushi?"

"No."

"What are you doing in a jewelry store anyway?"

"Nothing. Just looking at some things."

"Well, if you're looking for Michiko's place it's that way." he said while pointing in the opposite direction than Haru had been planning on going.

"I know which way it is."

"Whatever. I gotta go." The neko took off, giving Haru one last curious glance on the way down the street.

----------

Michiko looked over at Hatori, who was seated on the floor next to her while they meditated. He had been sighing and finally let out a huff of irritation. "You know, it might be better for you to talk about whatever's bothering you than try to ignore it. It doesn't seem to be working anyway."

He bent his head forward and pinched the bridge of his nose in an agitated gesture. "I suppose you're correct."

"Do you want dinner before you head to the compound?" she asked gently. He glanced over at her with slightly lifted brows so she continued, "I assume you'd like to get home to discuss the issue with whoever's causing it."

"To do that, I need to stay here."

Her eyes widened a bit, "Oh. Would this be about Haru?"

"Yes. Is he living here?" he asked bluntly.

Michiko chewed her lip in an unusual display of nerves. Finally she took a deep breath and spoke, "More or less."

"He's only sixteen." Hatori pointed out.

"I am aware of that." she replied edgily, nervousness mostly gone.

"Then why is he living here?" he probed.

"Because it makes us happy to be near each other."

"Can't you be happy visiting each other like most teenagers?"

"We were for a while, but we miss each other when we're apart."

"It sets a bad example for the others." he replied evenly.

She looked at him in surprise, "I'm not here to set examples and neither is he. The others are sensible enough to know what's right and wrong for them and they're doing fine."

"His parents could have you arrested for this."

"Are you going to tell them?" she demanded, getting angry.

"No, but you two should. Michiko-san, he has a little less than four years to adulthood."

She frowned, "What? He's only got a year left."

Hatori chuckled, "If you live in Europe."

Or Russia, which had been where she lived when it mattered. When she had first lived in Japan she hadn't really cared about anything besides staying out of sight and adulthood was an eternity away. When she came back, she was legally an adult so it didn't matter. "What's the age of majority here?"

"Twenty. It's under debate and might drop down to eighteen eventually, but right now it's twenty."

She considered it for a moment before shrugging, "Did they have any reason in particular for choosing twenty?"

Hatori shook his head, "Not that I know of."

"Then I'm sticking with seventeen. Almost everyone I know uses seventeen as a bar and it's served us well."

"That's not how it works." he tried.

She shrugged, "Sure it is. It's all in the paperwork. I've been an adult in the eyes of the law since I was fourteen."

He frowned lightly, "I hope you're not suggesting you are encouraging Hatsuharu to file for emancipation."

"I am not, have not, and will not. I'm merely arguing that it's an arbitrary number that can be changed due to circumstances."

"He's not ready."

"I know that."

"Then why do you let him live here?" Hatori demanded.

"Because I love him and I'm lonely when he's not here." she retorted.

"So it's about you alone?" he questioned.

"No! Have you not noticed an improvement in his mood at all in the last eight months?" she growled. "Or his temper?"

Hatori paused and considered that for several moments before nodding once in agreement, "I still don't think it's appropriate for him to be living here."

"Then you should discuss it with him." she said flatly.

"I will be." he took a seat on the couch. "Here. Tonight."

Michiko huffed lightly before smiling. "Would you like some tea, Hatori-san?"

"Please." he replied with a hint of a smirk. Michiko brought him tea and they settled down to talk about other things until Haru arrived. It wasn't very long of a wait.

----------

Haru stepped into the apartment and called a greeting to Michiko as he unlaced his boots so he could take them off. When she came over to greet him, she looked a bit strained and only gave him the briefest of kisses before telling him Hatori was there and wished to speak with him.

"About what?" he asked quietly.

"What do you think?" she returned. "It's pretty obvious you haven't been home much for the last couple of months."

He sighed as he caught her hand, "Has he been giving you a hard time about it?"

"No. Hatori wouldn't do that. He just very politely reminded me I can get arrested for what we're doing." she replied with a slight smile.

His eyes darkened, "As in he would have you arrested or just anyone in general could have you arrested?"

"Anyone in general. He has your best interests at heart, don't be too angry with him." she replied as she ran her fingertips down his cheek.

He finished with his shoe and followed her into the living room. Haru's eyes zeroed in on Hatori as he took a seat and poured himself a cup of tea. "Yes?" he asked, trying to be polite.

Hatori leaned forward slightly and looked at both of them, "I have both of your best interests in mind when I speak of these things. You know you can't keep your relationship a secret from Akito when you're never home. He knows you have to be somewhere and you don't get that lost."

Haru frowned darkly, "Are you going to tell him?"

"Not if I can help it, but you know it's difficult to disobey a direct request. You are putting me in the position of not being able to avoid direct, specific questions. I know you don't come home at night because you live next door to me and I can see there haven't been any lights on except for when your parents are there."

The teen's frown lightened a bit, "So what, exactly, are you here for?"

"It isn't appropriate for you to be living with Michiko at this age, but it's not a crime worth the punishment Akito will give you if he finds out. You know how angry he gets."

Haru shrugged, "So he knocks me around a bit, I'll live."

Hatori glanced at the silent Michiko, "What about her?"

He paused and looked over at her. She was rigid and he couldn't quite make out the expression on her face, but it didn't bode well for anyone. "Mi?" he said softly as he reached over to untangle her fingers from the knot they were in.

Her dark eyes slowly shifted to his, "He won't be knocking you around. You know how I feel about that."

He turned so his body was facing her on the couch and cupped her cheeks, "I'll be fine and it's a small price to pay for what I want. I'll keep him away from you, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about me, but I don't want someone hurting you because of me." she said.

Haru looked at Hatori, "Don't try to take this away from me. I'm happy and for the first time in my life I matter to someone."

Hatori frowned lightly, "Haru, you matter to your parents, to the family."

"No, I matter as a concept to them. Who there knows my favorite color or food or book? Who cares if I've had a good day or bad as long as I come home at the end? My parents only talk to me to tell me they're leaving or to stop seeing Mi. You only talk to me to tell me my behavior is not appropriate. Why would I give her up to go back to that? Here, I matter. She wants to know me and my black side. She cares what happens to me and how it effects me. She cares, period. It's more than I can say for the family." he shook his head and tightened his grip on her hands.

The doctor sighed, "Please think about what you're doing and the repercussions. If you feel it's worth it, then continue but be careful. You know he'll be angry and you're dragging an innocent girl into it."

"I am not innocent and anywhere he goes, I go." Michiko said firmly. "There is nothing he can do to me that hasn't been done before. I'll live, as will Haru."

With a final sigh, Hatori let it drop. "I need to get back to the compound. Do be responsible while on this course."

They nodded silently before Michiko got up to grasp his hands, "It will be all right in the end, Hatori-san. Would you like to reschedule your lesson for later?"

He nodded, "I'll call you when I know my schedule."

She ushered him out the door before returning to the couch to curl into Haru. "Are you sure you want to stay here?"

"Yes. I won't let Akito get between us. I'm happier than I've ever been and I won't give it up because someone else tells me to." He caught her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her soundly.


	17. Why Not?

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira, and the Yankees. :) Also, to clarify, while this story does follow the rules of Harry Potter magic, there is no interaction with any Potter-verse characters. She attended a similar school, but it isn't one that would have put her in contact with anyone from the canon. I adopted those rules because they are familiar to nearly everyone and wouldn't require further explanation on how magic works or the limits. For these reasons, I have not listed it as a crossover, but if you think that would be more appropriate then I'm happy to change it. JK Rowling owns all the spells and Potter-verse vocabulary I've mentioned, and the rest still belongs to Natsuki Takaya. If you have any questions or something makes no sense please let me know. Thank you so much for reading this! Have a wonderful day!

~Tali

Chapter 17 – Why not?

I know you haven't made your mind up yet  
But I would never do you wrong  
I've known it from the moment that we met  
There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

~ _To Make You Feel my Love," _Garth Brooks

Haru felt his heart start pounding as he took a deep breath. They'd finished eating and it was time. The whole point of this picnic was to remind her of their first date and how far they'd come since. "Let's go for a walk."

She allowed him to pull her to her feet and twined her fingers with his as they walked in the late afternoon sunshine. They came to a spot where the sun slanted through the leaves in dusty rays and they could hear the creek burbling behind them. She looked up at him with a smile and his heart stumbled in his chest. "There's something I want to talk with you about."

"All right. What's up?"

"I don't think I've told you how happy I am to have found you." He watched her face soften and continued, "I've never been as happy as I have been these last several months. Thank you for finding me."

She reached for him and he wrapped his larger hands around her small ones. "I'm so happy that I did."

He shifted until he was on his knee in front of her and brought her hands to his lips for a soft kiss. His heart started galloping in his chest as he pulled in a breath. "Both sides of me love you so much. We want to love you for the rest of our lives. Will you please marry me?"

Haru's heart dropped when her expression slid into confusion, then sadness. "I can't."

"Why not? I thought you loved me."

"Haru, I-I love you more than anything, but I can't get married."

"Why not?"

"Because marriage leads to family and I'm not ready for that."

He felt the tension in his shoulders ease at that and he returned to his feet, "We don't need to have a family for many years. We're much too young."

"And you're still in school."

"And you're making sure I don't get distracted."

"We've known each other for less than a year."

"Our hearts belong to each other. We'll know each other for a long, long time."

He watched as tears welled in her eyes before she looked away and eased her hands out of his, "I can't. I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to see me anymore."

He felt the foundation they had built together drop away with her refusal. "I don't understand. You love me and I love you."

"I know, but I can't get married."

"Why? We do all of the things married people do, why not make it official?"

"Can't we just keep going as we have been? There's no need to get married right now, is there?"

Haru considered her for a long moment as he tried to puzzle out her reluctance to marry him while still wanting to be with him. "So, you want to be together but you don't want to get married?"

"Yes." she replied as she reached for his hands but stopped short of her goal, uncertain of the reception. "I don't want you to go, but I understand if you do."

He clasped her hands, "I'm not going anywhere. I want to marry you and you want to marry me, even if you don't want to admit it. I'll keep trying until you agree." He pulled her against him for a tight hug. "We're going to be married one day."

"Do you really think so?" she asked as she picked up his clothes.

"Just as soon as I figure out why you're so against the idea. Let's go home and watch a movie." He nudged her to start walking.

"As soon as you're Haru-shaped."

"Haru-shaped?"

"Yes." She started gathering everything up as he changed back and tugged on his clothes. He ran a hand down her hair as they walked to the clearing near Shigure's in near silence. She Apparated them to the alley and they made their way upstairs.

They settled on the couch and he flipped on the TV and started whatever was in the DVD player. It was the scary movie they had watched the first time he spent the night. "See? Even the television agrees."

She chuckled a little against his neck before settling down to bury her face in his shoulder.

----------

A week later Haru stomped in the door around three in the morning to find Michiko, finally home, and looking exhausted. "Where the hell have you been for the past three days?"

She gave him a startled look, "Didn't you get my messages?"

"What messages?" He yanked his phone out of his pocket and showed her it was on. "You haven't called or come home in three days!"

"I couldn't call from where I was so I sent owls. Didn't they come by?"

He paused and tried to make sense of what she was telling him. "You sent an owl to what, exactly?"

"With letters. Well, quick notes, really. I only had a moment and then I had to get back to work." She hauled herself off the couch and went to the kitchen window. Sure enough, there was a small stack of letters sitting on the ledge outside the window. He watched as she opened each one and then handed them to him. Haru took his eyes off her long enough to glance down, then look again. "How did those get there?"

"I sent them by owl. If the window isn't open they leave them on the ledge."

"You send letters by owl instead of call?"

"Phones don't mix with magic, remember? It took me a long time to make your phone work the way it does. There's no way I can get mine to work in the office. There's too much magic."

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Couldn't you have popped in or something?"

She shook her head, "I was in quarantine. Couldn't leave the building until I tested clean."

"What about Kishi?"

"She was working with me when it happened."

"No wonder Hatori was so aggravating today. Still, you can't go disappearing for days at a time." he brought himself back on topic. "What if you died? I wouldn't even know."

"Someone would tell you. You're my emergency contact and Hatori is listed as my doctor."

"That isn't making me feel any better."

"Well, what do you want from me? I was sick as a dog and had to keep my mind enough on the problem to solve it. You think the last three days have been a picnic for me? Why do you think I didn't come home? To piss you off?"

He closed the distance between them and took hold of her shoulders, "I have no idea why you would disappear for days at a time. The guys and I have been combing the city for you. It hasn't been a picnic here, either. In fact, I should call and let them know we can call it off."

"Is that why you're just walking in the door in the middle of a school night?"

"Yes." he yanked out his phone and started typing text messages. He had to send them to nearly everyone since they'd been looking in pairs and as individuals. Even Shigure and Ayame had agreed to help when they found out what was going on. His phone started ringing before he finished. When he didn't answer, since he was still typing, Michiko's started ringing instead. She flicked it open only to get an earful from Kai with someone yelling in the background.

"W-what? . . . No, I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you. . . . I tried to send messages and I guess they didn't get through. . . . Really, I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried all of you. Please thank everyone for me and we'll get together maybe next week? . . . Okay, that sounds good. . . . . No, Haru is still sending text messages. How many groups of you are there? . . . Everyone? . . . In pairs? Can you help him pass along the message so everyone can get some rest? . . . Thanks. See you later."

She had no sooner hung up the phone when someone burst through the door. Before they could blink Kyou was glaring down at her and Tohru was edging into the room. "Just where the hell have you been?"

"At work. I'm sorry if you were worried."

"Why didn't you call?"

She huffed, "As I just explained to Haru, I tried to send a message, and I was unable to make any calls."

"Then you should have just come home."

She shook her head. "One day I'll tell you exactly what a bad day at work involves. Rest assured I would not disappear if I had a choice."

Tohru slid around Kyou and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm glad you're okay. We're going to go home now, right Kyou-kun?"

He looked Michiko over once more to make sure she was okay before nodding, "See you later."

"Thanks for stopping by." When the door closed behind them Haru returned his attention to Michiko and opened his arms. She smiled tiredly and accepted the short hug then held his clothes out when he turned back.

"Ready to get some sleep?"

"Oh, yes."

"You're still in trouble."

"For what? I tried to contact you in the only way I could."

"Just because I was worried about you so much."

She looked up at him, "I really am sorry."

"Sorry enough to marry me?"

"No."

"Then you must not be that sorry." he countered.

"Are we really going to get into this in the middle of the night?"

"Why not?"

"What part of no don't you understand?"

"The part where you say you want to be with me but don't want to marry me. That's not no, that's I'm too scared to commit."

She crossed her arms, "I am not scared of commitment."

"Then say yes."

"NO."

"You'll change your mind eventually."

"I won't."

"Now you're just being argumentative."

"I am not."

He lifted a brow and she fell silent, fuming. "We've worked through being too young, not knowing each other long enough, you thinking it's just a bad idea in general, not having anything against the institution of marriage itself, housing, schooling. What's next?"

"Nothing. I'm going to bed."

He followed her and caught her shirt when she threw it at him. "Laundry? Chores? You're worried I'll be one of those husbands that sits around watching sports and drinking beer while you raise the kids and clean the house?"

"Please. I don't think I've heard you mention a single sport aside from sparring and you'd rather do it than watch it on TV."

"Just making sure. I told you we're going to work through all the reasons. I've got nothing but time, kitten."

"What about your parents? I've never met them."

"That is not a loss. Besides, Hatori is more of a father to me so you _have_ met who's most important."

"I thought as much. Can we go to bed now?"

"Yes. You should come over here and kiss your husband-to-be hello. You haven't kissed me in days."

That tugged a wisp of a smile out of her as she crossed the room and gave him what he asked for before tugging him into bed.

----------

"Are you Black again?" Michiko asked softly as he stomped through the door, again.

"And if I am?"

"Just wondering why."

"You're finally home."

"For a few hours."

"How much longer before you finish this case?"

She spread her hands, "I don't know. Kishi's put even more people on it so hopefully we'll finish soon."

"Good." He flicked something at her and she nearly fumbled it before she got a good hold on it. It was a ring. She looked at it for a moment before returning her gaze to him.

"What's this?"

"Your engagement ring."

"It's beautiful. Where did you find it?"

"I designed it. Will you put it on?"

"We discussed this already."

"We're discussing it again."

"My answer is the same."

"Then tell the truth about it so we can move on." he retorted as he invaded her space.

Her eyes narrowed, "You can't intimidate me into giving you the answer you want."

"Can't I?"

She pressed the ring into his hand, "No, you can't. If that's the girl you're looking for, you missed."

"Kitten, I just don't understand you. You love me and we both know it. Why won't you marry me?"

"How do we know this is going to stick? This is the only real relationship I've ever been in. I don't know what I'm doing."

"No one does. That's part of the fun."

"Do you know what marriage means to me?"

"To have someone love you for the rest of your life?"

"No. Not even close."

"Kitten, what are you talking about? Marriage is having that someone that knows and understands you better than anyone by your side forever. What else could it possibly mean?"

"Two people that despise each other but can't get away . . . A broken family with no hope for the future . . . People that hurt not only their child, but each other . . . Screaming fights that last all night . . . Cold shoulders that last for weeks . . . Pain. Suffering. Humiliation. I've never seen anything good come from marriage."

He took a deep breath and let it go. "Kitten, you know none of those things apply to us."

"How can I? Surely, they weren't like that when they were our age. When they first got married I bet they were happy like every other couple."

"Kitten, those things do not apply to us. We _love_ each other. People that honestly love each other don't do those things to their partner. We might argue now and then, but it will never be like that because we love and respect each other."

"But, Haru, I don't _know_ that. And neither do you."

"I do. I'm just waiting for you to catch up."

"What about your family?"

"What about them?"

"I'm sure they aren't in favor of this."

"I don't care."

"What about Akito?"

"I'll keep him away from you."

"Are you going to let me keep him away from _you?_"

"You stay away from him. It's worth it to me no matter what he does."

"I don't want you hurt because of me."

He gripped her hands. "If I get hurt it'll be because of him, not you. Can you make it so he doesn't find out?"

"Maybe. Probably."

"Then that's not a problem, is it?"

"My answer is still no. It's too soon."

"I've known we belong together for a long time."

"Just because we belong together doesn't mean we have to get married."

"Yes, it does. We can compromise on a lot of things, but that's not one of them. You will belong to me in every possible way, as I will you. I'm going to keep asking until you say yes. Each time, something new will come out and we can talk about it and eventually you'll run out of things to say except yes." He pulled a fine silver chain out of his pocket and strung the ring on it before clasping it around her neck and dropping it down her shirt. "Here, this should help you get used to wearing it." She tried to protest but he gave her a dark look, "It's a gift. Enjoy it."

----------

Haru walk through the door, eyes fixed ahead with determination. He was going to convince her to marry him today. He was not taking no for an answer this time. He had worked up the nerve to propose and she had put him off. So he had kept asking nearly every day for the last month, trying to wear her down and work through all the reasons she was so determined to say no. He swung the door shut behind him and headed directly to the living room without taking his shoes off. "Mi-" was as far as he got before stumbling over a stack of books and landing on his face. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry! I'm looking for something and didn't realize how late it was." she apologized as she pulled him to his feet. She flicked her wand and all the books were put away. "Here, let me take care of that."

"So you're working eighty-plus hours a week and still felt the need to bring your work home with you?"

"Sort of pathetic, isn't it?" She cupped his face for a moment then grabbed a tissue to wipe away the blood that had been flowing from his nose. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to booby-trap you."

He pulled her hands away from his face and held them, "It's fine. Mi, will you marry me now?"

"Because I broke your nose?"

"No, because you love me."

"Haru, you know I can't. I thought you'd understand by now."

"I _don't_ understand, Mi. Why not?" Haru asked in frustration, eyes flickering between gray and black. "Kitten, you love me, I love you, and I've more or less been living here for the last couple months."

"I know that Haru, but we're so young. You're almost seventeen and I'm nineteen. We have our whole lives ahead of us to get married. I don't think we should until you're at least out of high school. I don't want to risk you thinking you should drop out."

"I'm in love, not stupid. I wouldn't drop out. I know that would make it ten times more difficult for us and I don't want to live off of family money my whole life."

"I know, but I can't help but worry. It just seems so sudden. I had no idea you were thinking about getting married."

"Well, isn't that sort of the point of a surprise proposal?" he asked rhetorically. "Besides, asking every day for a month takes the surprise out of it."

"I suppose that's true, but I still think we're too young to get married."

"I don't think we are. We're doing all the things married people do anyway, so why not make it official? What difference does it make?"

"The difference is that if you wake up one day and decide this isn't working for you, you can walk away." she replied gently.

"I'm not going to." he insisted stubbornly.

"You can't know that, Haru."

"Of course I can. You are the only person I have ever met that accepts all of me as I am. You know my black side and care about him too. _No one else ever has._ They avoid me entirely and only Yuki will talk to me voluntarily, if hesitantly, when I'm like that. You have accepted and embraced that side of me since you first met. You care about my black side as much as my white and I can feel he has responded to that by calming down a bit."

She reached out to touch his cheek, "Is that really the way it's been for you? I didn't realize that."

He nodded slowly, willing her to truly understand where he was coming from. She must have seen some of it in his eyes because she smiled gently and pulled him in for a kiss.

When she pulled away she looked him in the eyes, "Are you certain this is what you want?"

"Yes. Would I have asked you umpteen million times if I wasn't sure?"

Michiko smiled a little at him as she dryly observed, "I suppose not."

"Are you finally saying yes?"

"I am."

"It's about damn time. If I had known that was all it was going to take I would have brought that up weeks ago." he grumbled before tugging the necklace out from under her shirt and removing the ring from it. He slipped it on her finger before she could change her mind. He had finally won and he wasn't going to take any chances. "We're getting married tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'm not giving you a chance to change your mind after you made me work so hard to get the right answer." He tugged her into his lap and kissed her senseless before tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to bed. He wanted to see how she looked wearing just the ring he had given her where it should properly be.

----------

"So, they really won't look too closely at the forms?" he asked. They were going to the local courthouse to get married. They hadn't told anyone because they didn't want it getting back to Akito and causing trouble.

"No, the charm will keep them from studying it closely and when they look at it, they'll see what they need."

"Good. So I just need to sign here and here and we're set?" he asked, pointing to a couple highlighted lines.

"Yes, right there next to mine." Michiko agreed as she handed him a pen.

Haru scrawled his name on the lines with a flourish and handed the form and pen to Michiko. "Anything else before we go to the courthouse?"

"Actually, yes. Disguises so no one remembers us. Any preferences in yours?"

Haru considered that carefully for several long moments before speaking, "Do we have to change our appearances? I want to see you when I marry you."

Michiko considered him for a moment, "I can disguise us on the way in and change us back for the actual ceremony, then cloud the mind of the person who does the ceremony to make us difficult to recall."

"You're really serious about no one knowing, aren't you?"

"You're the one that said Akito is going to be very angry about you getting married without his consent. I'm just doing what I can to make it difficult for him to find out. I don't like the way he treats all of you like his playthings. Hatori, Yuki, Kyou, Isuzu, and Kisa have all suffered at his hands. I would prefer to avoid a confrontation with him because I'm not sure I would be able to control myself if he tried to harm you."

"What do you mean?" Haru asked curiously.

"He hurt my family, and deserves serious punishment for that." she replied quietly.

"It's not your place to punish him, and if you tried, he would only hurt you too."

"He'd have to catch me first." she said playfully before tugging on his arm. "Enough of this serious stuff, we're getting married. How do you want to be disguised?"

He smiled back, "All black hair and blue eyes like yours."

She flicked her wand and he glanced in the mirror to see his hair and eyes had changed. He looked over at her and frowned, "Why am I looking straight at you instead of down?"

"Height is another easy way to identify someone. If they see a couple of the same height walking around they're not going to think of us when they're told the male is taller than the female, are they?"

"I suppose not." He glanced around before returning is attention to her, "Things really are different down here."

Michiko smacked his arm, "Quiet you." She concentrated for a moment and her hair changed to an all black bob, her eyes changed to a deep brown, and her figure became much curvier.

"What's with the curves?" Haru asked as he ran a curious finger down the center of her chest, stopping between her newly enlarged breasts. They certainly felt real.

"Not going to think of us when they say the girl has a slight build."

"Not especially thinking of that just now." he said before removing both finger and gaze. "Why are you so good at disguising yourself?"

"Years of practice."

"Why?"

"I was on the run. I had to make sure no one recognized me or could follow me to where I was hiding."

"We should talk about this more later." he said firmly. "Now let's go get married."

She smiled brilliantly. "Lead on."

Michiko held Haru's hand as they followed the Priest to the shrine. Her eyes widened as she saw it had pretty lavender blossoms around it and several white wooden chairs lined up in front of it. She leaned close to Haru to whisper, "This is much prettier than I expected."

"Not as pretty as you." he responded with a smile. She had found a simple white summer dress with red embroidery on the collar and hems. Haru thought she looked quite lovely with the flush now warming her cheeks.

They stepped up to the shrine and turned to face the Priest. He smiled at them before beginning a simple ceremony. Haru couldn't keep his eyes off of Michiko once they began and before he knew it they had exchanged cups of sake and rings and then he was kissing his wife.

When he pulled back, he smiled at her, "Aishiteru, Michiko. You don't know how much."

She tugged him over for another kiss before responding, "I love you more than you know."

He returned his attention to the Priest and thanked him before signing the certificate and handing the pen to Michiko. He listened as he told him they needed to take it into the main building to have it filed and then they would be finished. Once he finished they bowed and as he headed out of the room Michiko flicked the spell at him then at Haru to disguise him again.

"All set?"

"Yes." she tapped the certificate with her wand to make it difficult to find before accepting Haru's hand and allowing him to lead her downstairs.

Once the certificate was filed with the correct department, she and Haru walked out of the building and into the sunshine.

----------

"Do you want to pick up the rest of your stuff today?" Michiko asked.

"Yeah, I just haven't figured out how to get it out of there without anyone noticing."

"I can Apparate us directly into your room if you like." she offered.

"Okay, let's go."

She looked into his eyes, "Concentrate on your room. See it very clearly and in as much detail as you can . . . . Do you have it?"

He nodded and felt something a little odd at the edge of his mind before she took his wrist and they disappeared. Haru looked around as he saw they were standing in his room. He poked his head out the door and saw that no one was home. "Perfect. I don't have any boxes-" he began before turning back around and seeing Michiko folding clothes from his closet into box and a small stack of them on the floor next to her. "Where did those come from?"

"Magic. Get packing." she said with a smile.

He grabbed a box and started loading his books and music into it. A couple hours later, they packed the last of his things and he surveyed the stacks of boxes now in the center of his room. "How did I get so much stuff? How are we going to get it all back home?"

"Easy. Hold out your hands." Michiko instructed before flicking her wand at the stack and shrinking it down so that they all fit in the palm of his hand.

Haru raised a brow, "Now _that_ is a neat trick."

"Thank you. Shall we go home now?"

"Let me put this back up so they'll see it whenever they get home." Haru replied as he walked over to the dresser and re-taped the note with his new cell number onto the mirror. "All set."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and took them home. Once there she made a few discreet changes to the closet space and hung up all of his clothes while he shelved his books and music and put away everything else they had brought with them. When she had finished she walked out to see Haru empty the last box into the bookshelf and smiled.

"Hello, Anata. How does it feel to be officially moved in?"

His eyes crinkled in a smile, "Good, Omea. Now why don't you come over here and welcome your husband home properly."

Her smiled turned flirtatious as she made her way over to him, "All right." She tugged him down for a lingering kiss before pulling him over to the couch.

Sometime later Haru smiled down at her, "Hey, what did you do with that little outfit Ayame made for you? I'd like to see you in that again."

She laughed at him, "You have me here naked and you want me to go get dressed?"

"Yeah, so I can undress you again. Go put it on. Please?"

Michiko huffed a mock sigh, "Fine. I'll be back in a minute." She got up and was back a couple minutes later wearing the little gray dress. She watched as Haru's eyes darkened to black. "I thought you only went Black when you were annoyed?"

"Or when I see a very sexy kitten walk into the room." he purred before pulling her flush against him and kissing her deeply.

"So, are you going to tell me about that other tattoo?" she asked playfully as they paused to breathe. She had tried to get White Haru to tell her about it, but he had refused.

Haru looked at her with eyes dancing with mischief, "Which one?"

She reached down and traced the black cat-girl in a slinky purple negligee that rode low on his hipbone. "That one."

He smiled, "I got that one night when I was thinkin' about you."

"Really? And what were you thinking that your other side won't tell me?"

"About how much I wanted to see my kitten in something like that so I could take it off."

"Well, that's not so bad. Why wouldn't you want me to know that?"

He shrugged, "Our Yankee friends talked me into it. I told them I had a sexy kitten to get back to and they said I should get a tattoo so she'd always be with me. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

_That explains what the guys were talking about then. _She lifted a brow, "And how many had you had to drink before this discussion took place?"

He shrugged carelessly, "Enough." He pulled her up for a kiss and soon she was entirely distracted from the conversation.


	18. Leaving

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira, and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 18 - Leaving

Haru walked through the door and started pacing around the living room.

"Anata, what's wrong?" Michiko asked quietly.

Hatsuharu ran a hand through his white and black hair in distress. "Omea, I just spoke with Hatori and Akito has realized how close Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru have become and the good it is doing us all to have her around. He wants to put an end to it by bringing Yuki back to the main house, locking Kyou up, and wiping Tohru's memories in the next few days. If any of the rest of us argue, he'll make us return as well." he replied seriously as he led her outside and down the street.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

He held out his wrist while checking to make sure they were alone and unobserved. "Tell them." he replied.

"Shigure's?" she asked. He nodded and they disappeared with a pop. They reappeared in the clearing outside the house. Haru reached out to take her hand and held onto it until he led her inside. He led Michiko over to the table where the three teens were having tea. "Yuki, Kyou, Tohru, we need to speak with you." Haru called.

Tohru smiled cheerfully and went into the kitchen to get two more teacups. "Hello Haru, Sato-san." Yuki said with a small smile.

"You finally ready to fight again, Haru?" challenged Kyou jumping to his feet. Haru narrowed his eyes and took a step forward to meet the challenge. Michiko huffed and stepped between the two boys.

"Anata, Kyou-kun, there are more important things right now. Please." She looked between them and waited for them to back down. Haru backed down first, gracefully moving to sit at the table and accepting a cup of tea from Tohru.

Michiko turned her gaze to Kyou in time to see him open his mouth, "Kyou-kun. Akito wishes to punish the three of you. We must decide what to do."

Kyou's expression hardened, "What are you talking about?"

"Please sit and Haru will explain."

He stalked over to where Tohru was sitting. He crowded close to one side while Yuki did the same on the other.

Yuki turned his attention to Haru while Michiko sat down and accepted her tea. "What's going on?"

"Akito found out that the three of you have become very close and he wants you permanently separated. He is going to call Yuki back to the main house, lock Kyou up early, and have Hatori erase Tohru's memories within the next few days."

He watched Yuki pale and his eyes go glassy while Kyou jumped up and punched the wall.

Tohru rested one hand on Yuki's back in support before saying, "He can erase my memories if it will keep Yuki and Kyou safe and happy."

"NO! Stupid, that won't make us happy. He's not going to erase your memories or lock us up. Go pack some stuff, we gotta go." Kyou yelled.

Yuki's head snapped up at that suggestion while Haru and Michiko quietly watched them, waiting for their decision.

"Do you think we could ever get far enough out of reach that Akito wouldn't find us?" he asked with a slight hysterical edge to his voice. The "Prince" was gone for the moment and only the boy was left.

"Of course we can, but only if we get moving now, nezumi."

Tohru looked between the boys, "But Kyou-kun-"

"I told you to go pack. Hurry up!"

She bowed quickly and ran out of the room.

"Are you certain that is your decision?" Michiko asked.

"Why do ask, Sato-san?" Yuki asked quietly.

"I'm going to help you." she replied firmly.

Haru's head snapped around at that announcement but he held his peace, waiting to see where his wife was headed.

"How can you help us?" Kyou asked.

"I can get you a very good head start for one thing. For another, none of you has ever lived in the real world and have no idea of what you're up against. I know a place you can stay for awhile while you sort out what you're going to do and I can help make sure no one realizes you're gone for at least a few days."

Kyou glared at her. "Why would you do that?" he demanded.

"You're my family. I'll do everything I can to help you."

The boys eyes widened before Yuki whispered, "Anata." He paused then asked, "Are you going to be safe?"

"Are you going to tell?" Haru asked casually.

The two shook their heads. "Then we will be. For a while at least."

"Silly, you have been my family for a long time now. Why don't the two of you please pack some things and we'll leave? Hurry, we don't know how much time we have left." Michiko suggested.

The two teens left the room and Haru waited until they were gone before turning to Michiko, "Omea, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take them to my grandfather's cabin until we can figure out what to do. My parents hated it and last time I was there, it was clear no one had been by in years. Then I'm going to wander around town a bit looking like each of them in turn for as long as I can get away with. Will you let me change your appearance so we can move about as two of them at a time?" she paused, "How do you think they're going to take it?"

He tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear, "I think they'll be fine once they have a moment to take it in. After all, we do know a little something about magic."

They looked up as Tohru bustled back into the room with a duffle bag packed to the brim. "Where are Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun?" she asked.

"Right here." Kyou said as he bounded down the stairs, Yuki a few steps behind him.

"Before we leave, I need to tell you something, please." Michiko said quietly.

Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru looked over at her while Haru stood beside her with his fingers entwined with hers. She looked away as she spoke, "I have a secret of my own."

"Well? Don't leave us hanging. Spit it out already." was Kyou's impatient response to her hesitation.

She gave him a glare before changing her appearance to match him exactly.

Tohru let out a small gasp and then a delighted giggle. "You look just like Kyou-kun!"

Yuki's eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to her. Kyou's face took an almost comical look of surprise, which Michiko duplicated exactly much to Tohru's delight.

Kyou's brows drew together and he stared at her for a moment before recovering himself. "How did you do that?"

Michiko smiled and changed back to herself. "I'm a metamorphagus. I can change shape at will. That's how I'm going to make Akito think you're still here after tonight. I can also do magic. That's how I'm going to get you out of here. It will be a little disorienting, but it's untraceable so it will be nearly impossible for Akito to find you."

"How will we be travelling, Michiko-san?" Yuki asked. No one missed the fact that Yuki had switched to her first name and Tohru looked pleased but confused. Probably because he still insisted on using her surname and he'd known her much longer.

"It's called apparation. I can concentrate on a location and go there instantly. I'll show you."

They watched as she disappeared with a pop and came walking in from the kitchen a moment later.

"How did you do that, Mi-chan?" asked Tohru.

Michiko smiled, "I told you Tohru-chan, magic. I can take people with me as well." She reached for Haru's arm when he held it out and they both disappeared. This time they came in from outside.

"Are you ready to go? Do you have everything you need for now?" she asked.

Tohru nodded immediately, and the boys followed after a slight hesitation.

"Great. Who wants to go first?"

Kyou, never one to show fear, grabbed his bag and walked over to her. He glared at her for a moment then held out his arm the way Haru had. Michiko smiled up at him before taking his arm in one hand while standing next to him so that they were hip to hip and she had her other arm tight around his waist.

"What the hell-" he spluttered before they disappeared.

A moment later they were standing in a clearing in the mountains with a ramshackle cabin at the edge. A stream burbled happily nearby and the wind blew gently through the trees and tall grass.

"-do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed before nearly falling over. Kyou looked up and saw they were on a mountain top with nothing but forest around them. "Where are we?"

"I didn't want you to fall. It's safe here." Once she was certain he was steady on his feet, Michiko released her hold on his waist. "As I said, it can be disorienting, even for a cat and I didn't want you to get hurt. We're very far from home. I need to get the others." She sketched a circle in the grass, "Don't go in there, okay? I don't want to get splinched."

She was gone before he had a chance to ask what the hell that meant.

She reappeared in Shigure's house and asked cheerily, "Who's next?"

Tohru stepped forward and held out her arm. Michiko chuckled at the sweet, but klutzy girl. "Come here, Tohru-chan. This way will work better for you, I think." She wrapped her arms around the girl in a firm hug and they disappeared as well.

"How were you able to get permission to marry her?" Yuki asked curiously.

"She can do other things as well. We gave them paperwork from my 'guardian' stating his agreement to the marriage and she made sure they didn't look too closely at it. No one knows besides you and Kyou so please don't mention it where others can hear."

Yuki nodded thoughtfully and Michiko returned, startling him slightly.

"Sorry it took so long. Tohru was really disoriented by it and it took us a couple minutes to get her sorted out. Who's next?"

Haru tilted his head towards Yuki and she turned towards him, "Ready?"

He nodded slowly and she went around to his side like she had with Kyou. He stiffened when she took hold of his waist but didn't step away.

"Pick me up in the clearing so if Shigure comes back he doesn't see me here alone." Haru requested

"All right. See you in a couple minutes." she responded. A moment later they were gone and Haru turned off the lights on his way out the door.

Yuki looked around as soon as he was certain he would be able to without getting sick and saw Kyou and Tohru sitting on the steps of a ramshackle cabin. "This place is safe?" he asked as he headed towards the pair to check on Tohru.

"Yes, and I'll make it safer before leaving. I'm going to pick up Haru and will be right back." She disappeared and reappeared moments later with Haru in tow.

"Why doesn't it bother you, Haru-san?" Tohru asked when she saw them come back and immediately head towards the small group instead of looking ill.

He shrugged, "I'm used to it. She takes me around like this all the time. It bothered me the first few times but then it was fine."

Kyou turned towards Michiko and with his usual impatience asked, "We're supposed to stay here? There are holes in the roof large enough to put the ushi through. What if it rains?"

Michiko smiled, "A moment if you would and I'll have everything repaired. It's been a long time since I was last here."

Kyou stared at her in disbelief as she pulled out an elegant wand and started waving it at the cabin. "What the-" was as far as he got before he saw the windows repair themselves and the holes in the roof disappearing.

Once the exterior was fixed she waved it again and lights went on inside giving off a homey glow and a fire lit in the hearth. Michiko stepped in and looked around critically. "This place is a disaster." She shook her head and conjured some cleaning supplies. Tohru hurried over to help but she waved her off and set the supplies to cleaning the cabin on their own. The teens watched in amazement while a few mops and buckets followed brooms and dustpans across the floor. Michiko started adding furniture to the place, cold storage box, cutting block, table and chairs, couch, rugs. She moved to the other rooms after the broom and mop were done and added beds with bedding, night tables with lamps, and rugs to the bedroom. She was really enjoying herself because she hadn't used this much magic outside of work since she graduated school. She put up a privacy curtain between one bed and the other two so that Tohru would have some privacy while sharing a room with the boys. Building another room was out of the question. She didn't have any of those spells mastered and didn't want to risk a cave in if it didn't go right. She checked on the washroom but it was in good shape now that it was clean. She added towels and supplies and it was set.

"The water heater runs on gas so I'll need to pick up a few tanks tomorrow. There is no electricity but plenty of lamps. I'll bring more oil for them as well. I'll grab food from my place tonight." She faced them and the three just stared at her. She glanced over at Haru who was also staring at her. He hadn't known she could repair a house with magic or create so many things out of thin air. "Are you okay?"

Haru gave himself a small shake and walked over to check out the couch. It was a lot like the one in her apartment. "This is why your parents rejected you?"

Michiko's eyes widened in surprise that he would say that in front of Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru when they didn't know the details of her situation. She realized he must be more surprised than she thought if he was speaking so freely, and she didn't want to discuss this in front of the other three as she felt they already knew too much. Michiko looked down and nodded.

She was startled when arms came around her and then she realized it was Tohru. "I'm sorry, Mi-chan." she said as she gave her a tight hug. Michiko pressed her face into Tohru's shoulder as she worried that perhaps Haru was not as comfortable with her magic as she had thought. When Tohru pulled away Michiko's eyes were damp.

Kyou was watching them and when he saw her tears he went over to Haru and cuffed him upside the head hard enough to knock him over, "Make her stop, stupid."

Haru was already on edge from what had just happened, and the unexpected blow from Kyou pushed him right over into Black. Fortunately, his Black side was as enamored of Michiko as his White side and neither could stand to see her cry. He shoved Kyou into the wall before walking over to Michiko and pulling her into his arms but not against his chest.

"As much as I don't want to agree with the neko, don't cry Kitten. I was being stupid." He nuzzled her neck. "We can go back home and I can make it up to you." he offered suggestively.

She looked up at him, her hair going to it natural auburn shade. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I thought you understood."

He shrugged, "I didn't realize you could do so much. You do a lot by hand and I thought it was because you couldn't do it by magic, not because you choose to do it by hand."

"I can do almost anything with magic: cooking, cleaning, furnishing, repairs, healing, defense. Whatever I can find a spell for, I can do."

Yuki, whose mind was always far ahead of everyone else narrowed his eyes as something occurred to him, "That's what you did when I had an asthma attack the day we met, isn't it Michiko-san?"

Michiko looked over at him, not able to read his tone. "Yes, Yuki-san. You needed help right away and that was the quickest solution."

Yuki bowed to her, "Thank you for risking your secret to help me even though we were strangers."

"I am happy to help any Sohma when they are in need." she replied.

Kyou glared at her, "You said you could use magic in defense. Does that mean you cheat when we spar?"

She stared at him a moment before starting to chuckle. "I don't use magic when I spar. I can repel or harm people if I don't think I can fight them. I don't mix them over much. I am going to do some things around the perimeter of the clearing to help keep you safe."

"What about when I hit you? Did you use magic then?" he asked.

She looked up at him, "Yes. But that's why I knew I wouldn't have a bruise. I healed it while I was in the bathroom so you wouldn't see it and then not spar with me anymore."

"So I did hurt you?" he asked.

"Of course you did. That was a very solid punch. I'm surprised your knuckles didn't hurt afterward."

"They did. It's been driving me crazy, how I could have hit you hard enough to hurt my knuckles yet you didn't have a mark on you."

"Being able to heal yourself almost instantly does a lot for your pain tolerance. It hurt, but I knew it wasn't permanent and I didn't want you to worry about it." She glanced at Haru, who was staring at her again, then back to Kyou. "I should probably get started on those defenses if I want to get any sleep tonight." She turned and walked out the door without further comment.

Haru grimaced. "I really upset her, didn't I?"

"I'm sure she will forgive you Haru-san. Michiko loves you very much. Would you like some tea?" Tohru gave a tiny frown, "I'm sorry, I forgot we don't have any tea."

Just then there was a pop from outside and Haru went to look for Michiko. He came back a few moments later with an unreadable expression, "That was her. She must be really upset if she left without saying anything." he sighed and sprawled onto the couch. "Damn." He gave another sigh and closed his eyes while turning his senses outside so he would know as soon as she came back.

Yuki and Tohru sat down on the couch beside him and Kyou prowled the room restlessly. Several minutes later there was another pop outside and Haru was out the door before it had even registered with the other occupants of the room. It always surprised them to see him move so fast since he so rarely did.

Michiko was walking towards the door with a small box in her hands. Haru glanced at it curiously before looking into her face. He saw her distress and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Omea, I'm sorry. I didn't think." He rested his forehead against hers and cupped her cheek,

"You looked at me the same way my father used to. It hurt."

He watched her tears slide down her cheeks and rubbed them away with his thumbs. "I've never seen you do so much magic and it surprised me. Please forgive me?"

She melted into him, "For a kiss."

He smiled down at her and gave her what she asked for. When he straightened a couple minutes later he looked at the box curiously. "What's in there?"

She looked at him uncertainly for a moment before answering, "Groceries?"

He lifted a brow at her "Is that a question or an answer?"

"Answer. Let's go inside. I'm sure Tohru would like to make tea."

Haru wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked with her into the house.

"I brought some groceries for you." she said as she walked in. She went over to the dining area and placed the small box on the table. She pulled off the lid and started pulling things out of it. Bags of rice, containers of tea, fruits, vegetables, milk, meats, spices, and everything else needed for a well stocked kitchen. The others crowded around to watch her pull everything out and Tohru started putting everything away.

"How does that box work?" Yuki asked.

"It's filled with wizard space. It magically expands it so that you can fit as much as you need into a container. My grandfather gave it to me and it is one of my most treasured possessions."

Haru smiled over at her, "I always wondered how you fit all of your jewelry into such a small box."

She smiled over at him, "I'm surprised you never said anything about it."

"Well, so many other things happened that I kept forgetting to ask you."

Michiko's eyes widened at that revelation, "It could be it is charmed so it no one can think about it long enough to steal it." She looked over a Tohru who she saw swaying slightly from the corner of her eye.

"Kyou-kun." she flicked a glance to Tohru and he followed her gaze. Startled, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders before she fell over.

"Perhaps we should go to sleep instead? We can have tea in the morning." She flicked her wand and everything was put away.

Kyou walked Tohru into the bedroom to settle her into bed.

Yuki turned towards them, "Were you able to finish the defenses you were talking about, Michiko-san?"

She sighed, "No. I was too tired and distracted. Haru and I will stay here tonight and I'll set them up first thing in the morning instead. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Michiko-san. I'm sure we'll be fine. No one even knows we're gone yet. Thank you for helping us. Good night." He bowed and left the room.

Haru turned towards her, "Where do you want to sleep?"

"Outside. I haven't slept under the stars in a long time and I've never slept with you under the stars." she smiled flirtatiously.

"What are we waiting for? Lead the way." he teased.

She walked outside and picked a likely looking spot. She pulled something out of her pocket and tapped it with her wand. It drifted to the ground and grew until a small tent was set up in front of them.

"Nice trick." Haru said as he pulled back the flap and climbed inside. He let out a long whistle as he looked around and realized that what looked like a tent on the outside was more like a cabin on the inside. It had a kitchen, dining room, bedroom and bathroom and was fully furnished. He poked his head back out, "Bed looks comfortable. Why don't you come in and we'll see if it's as comfy as it looks?"

She grinned and climbed in after him.

----------

Michiko opened her eyes when she heard Kyou yelling at Yuki. She shook her head and decided that since she was awake, she may as well be up. She dropped a kiss on Haru's bare shoulder and climbed out of bed. After cleaning up and dressing she stepped out into the brisk mountain air.

"Good Morning Kyou-kun, Yuki-san. Did you sleep well?"

"Probably better than you. What's with the tent?" Kyou responded.

"Yes, thank you. Why did you two sleep in a tent instead of the cabin?" Yuki asked.

"I like sleeping under the stars and there's more room in there." she replied before smiling and heading into the kitchen to see if Tohru needed any help with breakfast. The two boys shared a look and shook their heads. _More room in a tent?_

"Good morning, Tohru-chan. Did you sleep well?".

"Oh, yes Mi-chan. Thank you." the girl replied happily.

"Do you need any help with breakfast?"

"Oh, no. It's fine."

"Here, why don't I help with the chopping? Then you can concentrate on the cooking. You're cooking is so wonderful I'm tempted to come here everyday for breakfast." Michiko said as she took up the knife.

Tohru smiled in delight and instructed her on what she needed for breakfast. When breakfast was almost done Michiko called to Yuki, "Would you please go wake up Haru while we finish this up?"

He smiled graciously, "Of course, Michiko-san."

He left and went out to the tent. He tapped on the flap and called Haru's name a couple of times to no effect. Getting impatient, he pulled back the flap intent on dragging Haru out by the ankle and gaped.

Kyou saw him and wandered over. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

Yuki gestured at the inside of the tent and Kyou leaned over to look. "Huh." He stepped inside and started wandering around. After a slight hesitation, Yuki followed.

"This magic stuff is pretty handy." Kyou noted.

Yuki nodded thoughtfully as he peeked into another room and spotted Haru sound asleep on a large bed. He sighed. Hopefully, the ushi would not start teasing him the moment he opened his eyes this morning. He walked over to the foot of the bed and called Haru's name again. No response.

He took hold of his foot and shook it briskly, "Haru. Get up. Breakfast is ready and we're hungry." This finally elicited a grunt as he rolled over and made himself more comfortable.

"You're not very good at this, nezumi." Kyou observed as he strolled over to stand next to Haru. He tilted his head in thought for a moment before leaning over and saying quietly, "Mi just left to go skinny dipping with Yuki." He stepped back as Haru shot of out of bed.

Haru looked around and the first thing he spotted was a horrified looking Yuki. He walked towards him menacingly.

"Kyou was just trying to wake you up. As you can see I'm standing here and Michiko is nowhere near me." he said soothingly. Not thrilled about warding off Black Haru this early in the morning, he shot Kyou a look that promised retribution.

Haru raised his brows speculatively and reached up to play with one of his necklaces.

In the kitchen of the cabin, Michiko abruptly abandoned her task and looked over at Tohru. "Haru is calling me, I'll be back."

She apparated into the tent and looked around. _He couldn't possibly be lost -_ was as far as she got before she was tackled. She reacted on instinct and sent her attacker flying across the room before she had taken a breath.

She turned her head slowly when she heard the sound of laughter. Kyou was sitting on floor laughing as if he had just seen the funniest thing in the world. Her eyes travelled the room and she saw Yuki standing not far from him wearing a look she could not identify. He was looking in the direction she had tossed her attacker and she snapped her head around as she realized who it was.

"Haru!" she called as she ran over to him. "I'm so sorry. What's going on? Are you okay? You're bleeding!" she ran her hands over his head to heal the cut from hitting the wall.

He shook his head slightly, "What's going on?"

"I don't know. You called me and then tackled me when I got here. I thought someone must have found us so I attacked." she turned back towards the chuckling boy on the floor and her eyes narrowed. "What exactly happened here?" she asked icily. "I nearly put my husband through the wall and you're sitting there laughing. Explain yourself."

Kyou immediately stopped laughing. He had heard that tone once before and it hadn't gone well for the one on the receiving end of it. "I was just trying to wake him up. I told him you went skinny dipping with Yuki, but Black Haru woke up instead."

She puzzled over that for a moment, "So he called me and then decided to take me to bed?" She turned towards Haru, "Maybe don't do that again while things are so tense? Make sure I know it's you then jump me?"

"Ah! I don't need to hear this!" Kyou stomped out of the tent.

Yuki tilted his head, "I'm going to have breakfast now." He turned gracefully and left.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Haru smiled at her, "I'm fine. Let's get breakfast before they eat it all." He cleaned up and got dressed quickly and they joined the others for breakfast.

Once everyone was finished Michiko excused herself to set up some barriers. Haru and the rest followed because they were curious about what that meant. They watched her pace a large circle around the cabin murmuring quietly and waving her wand this way and that. As it was not the most interesting thing in the clearing they eventually started talking among themselves as she worked. It was nearly lunchtime before she walked over to them and flopped down in the grass.

"Are you all right?" Tohru asked with worry shining in her eyes.

"I'm fine. Just tired. I'll need to rest before we go home. For now, I'll just lay here while I explain the barriers, if that's okay with everyone."

At their nods she raised a hand and indicated to the circle she had been pacing around all morning. "I laid a barrier around the cabin that made it so no one that you didn't already know could see it. Anyone that comes near it will feel an uncontrollable urge to leave immediately so it will be difficult for anyone to see you accidentally. Hardly anyone comes up here so you should be fine, but I'll sleep better knowing you're protected. It will also repel harmful creatures, should any try to get close. The nearest town is over one hundred miles away so don't wander aimlessly and get lost. It's fine to explore but make sure you know how to get back to the cabin. As long as you are within the barrier you will be protected. Questions?"

"How do we know where the barrier is?" Yuki asked.

"When you walk through it you'll be able to feel it tingle across your skin."

She pulled off two necklaces and tapped them with her wand so they duplicated. She put two of them back on before holding one out to Tohru and the other to Yuki. "Wear these at all times while you are here. If you need anything, hold the pendant and think of me. The more urgent you feel the stronger it will come through and the faster I'll be where you are. Kyou, your pendant is charmed similarly. Remember – it will only take me a moment to get here so don't hesitate to use it. It won't put me out of my way and I want to know that everything is all right or that you need help. No exceptions. Nothing is too small. Haru and I will try to visit every day to make sure you have everything you need. Questions?"

They shook their heads slowly.

"Lovely. I'm going to catch a quick nap then." she said before closing her eyes and promptly falling asleep.

The four teens looked at her with disbelief before Haru spoke, "I guess making barriers uses a lot of energy."

"Why don't you put her in the cabin or tent so she's not sleeping on the ground?" Tohru suggested.

"That's probably a good idea." Haru said before kneeling and scooping her up. He disappeared into the tent and returned a couple of minutes later. "I think we're going to be here for dinner. She's out."

"Wonderful. It will be nice for you and Yuki to have some time to visit with each other. I know he mentioned you've both been so busy lately that you haven't had much time to talk." Tohru said.

Haru gave Yuki a questioning look and the violet eyed teen shrugged and glanced at the other two.

Kyou growled, "We know when we're not wanted. Come on." he said as he took Tohru's hand and dragged her away from the cabin.

Once they were out of ear shot Haru asked, "What's going on?"

Yuki shrugged, "Nothing. I just like sending them off together."

Haru chuckled as he sat down next to Yuki.

"Have you told her yet?" he asked.

Haru glanced over at him, "Told her what?"

"About your new class schedule?"

"No. I want to surprise her."

"How long will it be before you finish?"

Haru shrugged, "If I can keep up the same pace I'm working at now, I should be done by the beginning of the next school year."

"That's amazing, Haru."

He shrugged, "I need to finish school. I have a family to take care of and I can't do that if I'm in classes all day."

"What about college?"

"I'm not sure yet. I think I'm going to work for a while so I can see what's out there and what would be useful to learn. I don't want to spend time in classes for a degree I'm not going to use."

"That's very reasonable."

"Yeah." he leaned back and stared at the sky.

"Are you planning on having children at some point?"

Haru picked up his head to look at Yuki, "Eventually. Why? Are you looking for some little cousins to spoil?"

"Maybe. Think of how much fun it'll be to have little Harus and Michikos running around tormenting Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame."

Haru smirked, "Wait until there are little Kyous running around."

Yuki laughed at that, "Oh, that would be something, wouldn't it?" He chuckled again before asking curiously, "How did she find out about the curse?"

"She's a spell researcher and she got curious about us. She found a description of the spell in a book. It's very old and written in Sumerian she said. She showed the book to me after she told me she knew."

"Do you think she'd let me see it?"

"Of course. She'd even teach you Sumerian so you could read it for yourself if you asked."

Yuki chuckled, "I really like her. She's good for you, for all of us. Like Tohru, but with rougher edges."

"She and Tohru have become close friends. Maybe they'll rub off on each other. Michiko will be softer and Tohru will be harder . . . No, I don't think Tohru has it in her to actually yell at someone."

"She might surprise you."

"It would surprise me to hear Tohru yelling."

They continued chatting until Kyou and Tohru strolled back to the clearing, looking slightly flushed but happy.


	19. Hiding

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira, and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 19 - Hiding

"So, who should we be today?" Michiko asked quietly. They were at Shigure's house, huddled in Kyou's room as they had been Kyou and Yuki the day before.

"I'll be Kyou and you can be Tohru. Are you going to attend classes all day or just for half?" he asked.

She tapped him with her wand and changed him from Yuki to Kyou. "All day so the teacher just thinks it's a bug going around the house. I'll switch you at lunch so you don't miss the whole day either. Do you still have their homework?"

"Yeah." He shuffled through his bag before handing her two sets. "Here's Tohru's and Yuki's."

Michiko stuffed them into her new school bag and checked her appearance. "Do I look okay? I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Haru looked her over critically before nodding, "You look just like her. You should wear school uniforms more often, you look cute in them."

"Hush. I despise uniforms. The closest you're going to get me to one is that little number Ayame and Mine made for me."

"You should wear that again. It's better than cute. I've been thinking I should order another one for you." he said as he ran his fingertips down her arm.

"Do you have any idea what they charge for those concoctions?" came the reply as she swatted his hand away, "Quit trying to distract me. We need to get to school. Ug. I was really hoping to never have to say that again."

He laughed at her, "Come on. It's time to pretend Yuki's sick. Then tomorrow Kyou will be. Let's get some breakfast."

"All right." They emerged from Kyou's room in time to see Shigure heading up the stairs. "Good morning, Shigure-san. How did you sleep?" Michiko as Tohru asked.

"Haven't yet, flower. I missed seeing you at dinner last night and didn't hear you come in. Did you have to work very late last night?"

"Yes, and Haru was nice enough to walk me home since Michiko had to work late too."

"I see. Well, I'm off to bed. Have a nice day at school you two."

"We will." Michiko replied before heading down the stairs to make breakfast.

After they ate, they left to meet up with Momiji for the walk in. They walked close together so they could discreetly hold hands while Momiji hopped around them chattering away. The walk to school was uneventful and both were grateful they didn't have to deal with the Yuki fans that day. Poor Haru had been chased from one end of the school to the other the day before and did not relish the idea of experiencing that again. Especially since Michiko had spent the day laughing at him.

Classes went fairly smoothly. As the anti-social Kyou, Haru only had to sit and glare all morning while Michiko made explanations for Yuki and chatted with her friends and the teacher. When lunch came, Haru dragged her up to the roof so they could be alone and themselves for a few minutes. Sleeping at Shigure's meant sleeping alone and having no privacy and he really detested that. After one last kiss she changed back into Tohru and they headed down to eat a quick lunch before afternoon classes. This time Michiko had the quiet time after a quick explanation that Kyou had started feeling ill at lunch, and Haru got hassled for missing morning classes that day and afternoon classes the day before. Since he had all of his work done, the teacher let it go but requested he at least try to be in class all day. Once they left the school, she changed him back into Kyou so they would be seen walking around town. Michiko and Tohru had both arranged a couple weeks off work so once they hit the forest outside Shigure's they apparated to the cabin to give the other teens their homework and notes for the day.

"Hi, guys!" Michiko called cheerily as they walked into the cabin.

"Hi, Mi." Kyou called before looking over at her and frowning, "Could you not do that? It freaks me out to see us walking in the door."

Michiko and Haru chuckled at him before she returned them to their original forms. "Homework for everyone. Yuki was out sick today and Kyou will be out sick tomorrow. I'll make some snacks while you all get to work. I have the parent-teacher meeting after school tomorrow for all of you to be home schooled and after that you should be good to go." Her eyes landed on Haru as he pulled out a stack of homework, "And a good thing too considering your teacher's new method of punishment. You should go to class all day tomorrow and I'll handle the other three somehow. Maybe Yuki can relapse early." She frowned as she considered how to work the system and headed into the kitchen.

Kyou spotted the guilty look on Haru's face and leaned over to hiss, "What are you hiding from her?"

"None of your business." Haru hissed back.

"Am I gonna be angry when she finds out?"

"She'll be happy and that's all that matters."

"She better be." was Kyou's response.

"Would you please trust that I'm not going to do anything to intentionally hurt her? You're not the only one that loves her, you know."

"I hope not." Kyou said angrily before hopping up and heading into the kitchen. "Mi, walk with me."

Michiko looked up at Kyou and saw he was upset so she handed what she was doing to Tohru and followed him out the door. "What's wrong, little brother?" she asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

He growled a bit but didn't answer. Familiar with his inability to put words to feelings she patiently waited him out. Ten minutes later, she was rewarded when he asked one question.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Haru got married?"

"Oh, Kyou. You don't think it was because I don't trust you to keep my secrets do you?"

He glared at the ground and nodded curtly. Michiko tugged him to a stop, "That's not it at all. I've been working so much I've pretty much gone home and to bed. The only reason I was around Haru enough for him to keep asking is because he more or less moved in after our fight."

"He had to ask more than once?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure we should get married so young. I mean, he's still in high school and I was worried he would decide to drop out and start working and I didn't want that."

"What changed your mind?" he asked curiously.

"We love each other. I figure if he loves me enough to ask every day and take the time to listen and help me work through all the reasons I said no then there must be something powerful between us."

Accepting that, he glanced at the ground again before looking her in the eye, "Would you please not keep big secrets from me?"

"I didn't intend to in the first place. I just hadn't found a time and place to tell you that I wouldn't need to worry about anyone overhearing. We didn't keep it a secret to hurt you, Kyou-kun." she replied as she gave him a sideways hug. "We only got married a few days before we brought you here. It took him nearly a month to get a yes out of me, if that helps any."

He gave her a true smile, "It does, actually. Come on, I'm hungry."

When they returned Haru gave Kyou and unreadable look, which the neko ignored in favor of the kitchen. Michiko noticed it though and knelt next to him, "What's up?"

"What did you two talk about?" he asked bluntly.

"Not telling him that we were getting married. He thought it meant I didn't trust him."

"Oh."

"What did you think we talked about?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing specific. I was just curious why he didn't want to talk here."

She gave him a half smile, "When has Kyou ever wanted to talk about his thoughts or feelings in front of an audience?"

"Good point."

"I'm going to check the barriers to make sure they're all right. I'll be back in a bit." she said before giving him a quick kiss and heading back out the door.

The next day Haru and Michiko, disguised as Shigure and Hatori respectively, walked into the teacher's office after classes had finished. "Good afternoon, Mayuko-sensei. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today." Michiko as Hatori said.

"Yes, thank you very much." Haru as Shigure said.

Mayuko studied the men thoughtfully. "Why do you want to take Kyou, Yuki, and Tohru out of regular classes?" she asked.

"We want them to travel with us for a couple of months to see historical sights and experience other cultures. It would be a valuable learning experience for them." Michiko as Hatori replied.

"And you are prepared to home school them yourselves? Have you ever tutored children before?"

"Not at this level, but we are prepared to ensure they spend time working on their schooling and obtain outside assistance if necessary. We don't wish for this to negatively impact their education, but to add to it." Michiko as Hatori replied.

The teacher studied them closely for a long moment before nodding. "Of course we cannot stop you if this is what you wish. I have packets with instructions and information for you as the instructors and also for them as the students. I have included the syllabus and homework assignments for the rest of the year. I will need to receive their homework each week."

"That is fine. We can make arrangements to send it in. Would you like it emailed or on paper?"

"Email if you can. It would take less time than if you're mailing it from other countries."

"That is no problem at all." Haru as Shigure replied. _And we won't have to worry about getting postmarks to support our story._

Mayuko handed them the packets and stood. "Very well. I'll be watching for the first email." She reached out and shook hands with them both before showing them out the door.

Haru and Michiko walked sedately out the door and into an empty ally nearby. She grinned at him before taking his arm and apparating them to the field. She bounced happily over to the cabin and waved the packets at them.

"You're all set. You'll need to email your assignments in once a week."

Kyou looked at her with a raised brow, "What did I tell you about walking around looking like other people?"

Michiko changed her and Haru's appearances and handed them the syllabus copies. "Get working my little school children. I need to read my instructor's packet, as does Haru."

Kyou looked absolutely scandalized, "You two are planning on actually tutoring us? He hasn't even done the work for our year yet."

Haru shrugged casually, "You'd be surprised what you pick up from the first year classes."

Michiko glanced over at him, "Perhaps you should finish that pile of homework your overly generous teacher assigned you." She turned to look at Yuki, "Honestly, I've never seen a teacher pile work on a student like this. I'm half tempted to go in on his behalf and file a complaint."

Yuki glanced at Haru with raised brows. Michiko watched the silent communication curiously as Haru flushed a little at Yuki's expression and her scrutiny.

"What's up, Anata?"

"It's nothing." he replied dismissively.

She watched Yuki shake his head slightly before turning towards his homework. Kyou was now glaring openly at Haru. "Yeah, what's up, kuso ushi?"

Haru returned the look, "None of your business, baka neko. Shut up and do your homework."

Michiko watched their interaction with interest before raising her brows at Haru questioningly.

"Do you have to watch me so closely all the time?" he growled irritably, unhappy that he wouldn't be able to surprise her as he had hoped.

She gave him an arch look, "You are usually quite pleased that I pay such close attention to you. What has changed?"

"Yeah, what's changed?" Kyou demanded suspiciously.

"Shut UP!" Haru yelled before tackling Kyou and tumbling them out the door.

Michiko tilted her head back and growled at no one in particular, "Why do I have to deal with this nonsense? It was a simple question." She zeroed in on Yuki, "You know what's going on. He keeps no secrets from you."

"He didn't tell me he was going to ask you to marry him." Yuki returned smoothly.

"Do you want me to tell you how much he agonized over that?"

"Not especially. He's your husband, why don't you ask him? Or better yet, Michiko-san, why don't you trust him when he says it's nothing?" he asked.

"If it was nothing, why is he beating the hell out of Kyou for asking too many questions?" she countered.

"Do you believe he would keep something important from you? Something that you _needed_ to know?"

Michiko considered that for a few moments before slowly shaking her head and heading out the door. She walked over to the tussling pair and put a barrier between them. They glared over at her and she smiled serenely.

"That's enough, gentlemen." she told them.

Kyou looked at her in disbelief. "He's keeping secrets from you, Mi."

"And they are his to keep. He would not keep anything that I needed to know from me. I trust him completely." she said with her eyes fixed firmly on her husband.

Haru relaxed and smiled at her. She reached out her hands; he stepped over to take them and pulled her in for a kiss. "Thank you, Omea."

"You are quite welcome, Anata. Now you better get started on your homework. I'll cook dinner tonight so make sure Tohru is working on hers as well."

He nodded and left her outside with Kyou, who was still staring at her.

"You should trust him with me, Kyou."

"What do you mean?" he asked angrily.

"You should trust that my husband has my best interests at heart and will not do anything to intentionally harm me."

"What about unintentionally?"

"What about it? That happens no matter how careful people are with each other."

"You're sure?"

"I am."

"Okay." he replied before slouching back into the cabin.

Michiko watched his retreating back for a moment before following. When she stepped into the cabin Yuki looked up at her from his spot at the table.

"Michiko-san, I've been meaning to ask you something." he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Would you be willing to show me the book you found our curse in?"

She smiled, "Of course. It's in Sumerian. Do you want me to teach you how to read it?"

Haru chuckled and gave Yuki an amused look. Michiko and Tohru looked at them questioningly.

"He told me you would be willing to show me the book and happy to teach me how to read it myself." Yuki replied with a small smile.

Michiko grinned at him, "Of course I would. It's about you, after all. I'll be back in a minute."

She stepped out of the cabin and they heard the pop signaling she had left. Several moments later, she stepped back into the cabin with an old book that looked ready to fall apart at the lightest touch. She set it gently on the table next to Yuki and opened it to the marked page. He studied the foreign symbols for a long moment before looking up at her.

"Would you teach me later?" he asked.

"Of course. Do you want to know the language or just enough to read this?"

"Let's start with this and see how it goes."

"Very well. Now back to your homework. I'm going to cook dinner." She looked at Tohru, who had started to stand, "You are going to do your homework as well. With this home schooling program, you could finish school early. Think of how proud your mother would be then."

Tohru considered that for a long moment before smiling and returning to her homework.

----------

A few days later Michiko was at home studying Haru's restlessly sleeping form. He was pale and his fever was spiking. She had given him some potion to help alleviate the symptoms but it was taking longer than she thought it should for the virus to clear his system. He was so ill at this point, she wasn't comfortable trusting her treatment so called Hatori for his assistance. When she told him he'd been out for thirty-six hours he agreed to come over as soon as he could get away and she unlocked the door before returning to Haru's side. She sat on the bed next to him and watched him stir fitfully until Hatori walked into the room.

"What are his symptoms?" he asked as he started examining to make his own determination. He noted the dark circles under her eyes but withheld comment for the time being.

"He kind of looks like he has chicken pox, but not quite."

"And what does that say about his energy field?" Hatori asked as he continued to look the teen over.

"Nothing because it's not actually chicken pox. If it were, it would be gone already. I gave him medication a couple days ago and that would have cleared it by now. I can't figure out what's wrong with him. It seems like a ma-foreign malady, but who has he been exposed to but me and Kishi?"

"You're not making any sense. When was the last time you slept?" Hatori pushed her sleeve up and swabbed her arm, "I'm going to need some of your blood to check for antibodies."

"A few days ago. I've been worried." She made a fist and let him draw a couple vials. He was very good and it barely hurt when he put the needle in her arm. He got a clean syringe and took blood from Haru as well.

"Is there anything he could have been exposed to?"

She shook her head, "Not that I know of. I keep anything potentially dangerous at work . . . . Oh, no." The girl closed her eyes with a pained frown, "I can't believe I forgot."

"What?"

"The book."

"What book?"

"The cursed book. I didn't warn him. I know he likes to flip through the books I bring home. He probably picked it up."

Hatori frowned at her. How could she possibly think a book could be cursed or make someone sick? Obviously, she was hallucinating from the lack of sleep. He pulled out yet another syringe and stuck it into her arm before she realized what he was doing.

"What was that for?" she demanded lazily.

"You're hallucinating. You need to sleep immediately or you could do permanent harm to your brain function."

"I am not hallucinating." she tried to argue. It didn't come out very strong and she started to collapse. Hatori caught her carefully and steered her into the bed.

"You'll feel a lot better when you wake up." he said as he brushed a hand over her head. He watched while she closed her eyes and her breathing evened out. Once she was out, he returned his attention to Haru. He had no idea what she had been rambling about medication to treat chicken pox. As far as he knew the only thing to do was inoculate against it or live with it. There were no medications to make it go away once you had it but the teen certainly appeared to have a serious case of chicken pox. Hatori thought he had gotten it as a child, but perhaps he was mistaken. Once he had done what he could he called Kishi to let her know Michiko would likely be out of work the next day. She arrived within twenty minutes to check on them herself.

"Did Michiko say anything before she went to sleep?" Kishi asked as she brushed the girl's hair back.

"She was rambling about chicken pox medication and a cursed book. I gave her a shot to make her sleep. She was hallucinating." he replied.

Kishi looked at him sharply, "She said something about a cursed book? Have you seen this book?"

Hatori looked at her, "Are you suggesting that she was in possession of all her faculties when she said that?"

"Remember when I told you I was different?"

"Yes. If I remember correctly, that would be the night you asked for an alibi."

"Well, she's different too. I need to check inventory and see if anything came home with her." Kishi said, "I'll be back and I'll send someone over to relieve you. I know you can't stay here until they wake up."

Hatori stepped over and took hold of her shoulders, "What aren't you telling me, Kishi?"

"I'll be back in a few minutes." she said as she eased out of his grip and hurried out the door.

True to her word, she and two other people were inside the apartment within minutes. "I'm going to need you to step out for a few minutes while we check this room."

Hatori shook his head, "I can't leave them alone."

"It will only be for a minute." she responded, face grave.

"Why?"

"Because something dangerous is in this apartment and we need to find it."

"I thought she did research, bookwork. How did she end up with something dangerous?"

"It's not my secret to tell, Hatori. Please, let me do my job."

He frowned but stepped out of the room. Kishi closed the door after one of her assistants joined her and fifty-seven seconds later the door opened and she beckoned him inside. "Now I'm going to lock you in here while we look through the rest of the apartment."

"We're going to have a discussion about this as soon as your babysitter arrives."

She gave him a sad look, "I'm sorry to hear that. I really enjoyed your company."

A frowned answered that, "I fail to see how an honest conversation equals not seeing each other again."

"You will." she said with a sigh as she closed the door between them.

Hatori ignored the tightness in his chest at her words and checked on the two teens. They had shifted so they were facing each other with their foreheads touching and their hands held between them. That would allow them to sleep together without him transforming. _How often must they do that for it to be habit while they sleep?_ He roamed the room aimlessly and a highly decorated piece of paper peeking out from under a jewelry box caught his eye. He pulled it out and stared at it in surprise. It was a marriage certificate and it had all the proper signatures on all the proper lines. It was dated for June twenty-ninth, just a couple weeks ago. He shook his head, certain that those two were going to be the death of him. Either directly for not telling Akito immediately or indirectly after he went insane trying to protect them from themselves. He tucked the paper back into its spot and tried to forget that he had ever seen it.

The door clicked open and he frowned at the man standing there. He looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place him. He stepped into the room and three people crowded in behind him. Hatori moved to stand closer to the bed. "Who are you?"

The oldest man, blond and rough looking, stepped forward and held out a hand. American. "I'm Kai. I've known Mi since she was twelve."

Hatori shook the hand cautiously. "Sohma Hatori. I am their doctor."

Kai gave him a narrow look, "Michiko's mentioned you."

Hatori glanced at the others and they stepped forward to shake his hand as well. The red-head was Joey, and clearly in charge of the other two, the bald guy was Nate and the dark haired one was Steve. "How do all of you know Michiko?"

"We knew Haru before we knew Mi." Joey supplied. "Met him last year and her several months later."

"So, you're Haru's friends?"

"We're friendly with both of them. We helped track down the guys that attacked her and searched for her when she went missing."

"Her too? Three days?"

"Yes. Haru said her boss was with her."

Hatori returned his gaze to the blond, "And how did you come to know her?"

"I helped her when she wasn't attending that fancy school."

"She attended a nice school?"

"Yeah. Said it was her grandfather's last wish."

"Do you know what it was called or where it was?"

"Nope. Just that she attended from September through June. She had a weird accent whenever she first came home for summer. And she can hold her liquor. Even young, she did all right for a girl."

"You got her drunk?" Hatori demanded.

"I gave her a couple of shots before I stitched her up on more than one occasion. We didn't have access to doctors in our area."

"You're the one that would have turned her out if you thought she was different?"

Kai glared at him, "Of course not and she _is_ different. We don't judge people. Follow the rules and all are welcome. Wish I could say the same for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have never heard her doubt her place in this world until she hooked up with you guys. Either she hid it better with me or you bring it out of her."

"That was not my intent. Does she express that often?"

"In passing a couple of times. Enough to make me wonder about you."

Hatori's response was halted by Michiko's low moan. The men turned their attention to the bed where she was struggling to sit up. "Would you stop bothering me, lady? I don't have a damn sister and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I don't know who the hell you are."

They glanced at each other before Hatori moved to the bed and soothed her until she was resting quietly again. When he looked up Kai was standing on the other side of the bed, watching them. "What is she to you?"

Hatori studied the girl for a while before looking up at Kai, "I don't know."

"What do you think she is to you?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"I took care of her for years. She's part of my family."

"She's part of mine as well."

"Not to interrupt, but why did Kishi ask us to come instead of Kyou and the others?" Joey asked quietly.

"We don't know where they are. They disappeared three weeks ago."

Nate tilted his head at the bed, "Those two don't know?"

"They aren't talking."

"You should make them."

"No, he shouldn't." Kai argued.

"They're just kids. They shouldn't be out on their own if they have another choice." Nate returned.

"If Mi was in on it they're safer than they were in their own homes." Kai replied.

Hatori looked over at him, "Why do you say that?"

"She knows how the streets are. She would make sure they aren't on them and if they were, they would have been with us. Since they aren't, they're somewhere much safer. Why would they want to leave?"

"Family complications."

They all nodded. Each one had been subjected to family complications of their own and had decided away from family was the best solution.

"Would you ask her when she wakes up? She might tell you." Hatori requested.

They all shook their heads in the negative, "We can't break her trust. If she told us, we still wouldn't tell you. If she doesn't want you to know it's because she knows she can't trust you."

That hurt, and they saw it behind his hard gaze before he glanced down at her, "I wish she could."

"Wishing never got anything done. You're either trustworthy or you aren't. Try to be, she deserves it." Steve snapped as the door slid open and Kishi poked her head inside. She looked a little worse for wear but looked at Hatori resolutely.

"I'm ready for that talk."

He was at her side in a moment. "What happened?"

"It was more dangerous than we thought. Luckily, her notes were right next to it so we were able to contain it. It's back at the office by now. How are they?"

"Fine. Sleeping. I'm sure they're in good hands. Let's go to the coffeehouse so we can talk."

She shook her head, "We'll go to my place. It's quieter."

He turned to the Yankees and handed Kai a slip of paper, "Call me if his condition changes. I gave Michiko a tranquilizer so she is merely sleeping and should be fine in a few hours. Keep a close watch on Haru."

"Oh!" Kishi said as she pulled a small vial of sparkling liquid out of her pocket and went over to Haru. She poured it quickly down his throat and Hatori snatched the empty vial out of her hand a moment too late.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"Cured him. He'll be fine in about twelve hours. Michiko had notes on that, too, and the antidote in her cupboard. She must have a lot on her mind to have forgotten."

"What did you give him? He may be allergic to it."

"He's not. She checked that too before she brought the thing home. It was tucked away with several other books. I'm impressed he was able to pick exactly the wrong one out of the stack."

Hatori looked between her, Haru and the Yankees before sighing and taking Kishi's arm. "We need to talk." He gave Kai and Joey a look, "Watch them."

The guys brushed them off. Nate gave a deep chuckle as he spoke, "We'll take care of them. Go have your talk and lay off the coffee, Doc."

----------

Michiko tried to open her eyes groggily. Her head was pounding and her stomach was roiling. _Oh, just finish the job already. Nothing is worth this misery. What the hell happened to me?_ Gentle hands helped her sit up and guided her hands to a cool glass. She sniffed and didn't detect anything blatantly harmful so sipped cautiously. _Water. Cold water. Thank you._ She sipped slowly and her stomach slowly calmed. She focused on her head and the pounding dropped off to a soft throb she could live with. Finally, she cracked open her eyes and saw Kai's worried face not far from her own.

"Kai?"

"Welcome back."

"From where?"

"Don't know. Doc said he gave you a tranq and you've been out for about ten hours."

"I feel horrible. Remind me to dose him next time I see him so he knows how awful it feels." She put her head against her knees and moaned. "Did he mention why he gave it to me?"

"No, but I suspect it has something to do with our friend Haru being sick. Did you stay up with him the whole time?"

Her head snapped around to look for him and she had to scrunch her eyes shut to keep from throwing up at the dizziness that accompanied that movement. He was in bed next to her where he was supposed to be so she relaxed and slowly turned towards Kai. "How did you get involved?"

"They needed someone to watch over you until you woke up and Kyou and the others are MIA."

Her head came up again, "I've been out for ten hours? Dammit, I need to get over there and check on them. I haven't been by in days. I better hit the store; they're going to need supplies. Has anything strange happened since you got here?"

He tilted his head for a moment before nodding slowly and picking something up off the nightstand. A fine chain dangled from his fingertips and a pendant with the symbol for home was hanging from it. "It was burning you."

She glanced down and saw a bandage on her chest. "Oh, my God." Panic stricken eyes met his as she grabbed the necklace, "When did it start?"

"About an hour ago."

"I gotta go. I'll explain when I get back." she snatched the necklace and pulled it over her head before launching herself out of bed. He caught her arm before she toppled. She was still so dizzy and out of sorts. _What the hell did he give me? Horse tranquilizers or something?_

"There's something else."

She tugged against his hold, "What?"

"You have blue eyes and dark red hair." He looked down, "And you're taller."

"I'll explain later. I have to get to them now."

"You're not going alone. You can barely walk."

"I need to go."

"Take me with you."

"You're not going to like it."

"So?" He called out, "Joey, keep an eye on Haru. Mi and I need to take a field trip."

Joey came into the room and sat at the chair Kai had been occupying for the last few hours. "Nice look, Mi."

She looked at them, "Who else is here?"

"Nate and Steve. They like the hair, too."

She sighed, "I guess I'll be explaining to all of you when we get back."

"No worries, Mi. We don't need explanations. Hurry back."

Michiko stumbled into the kitchen and flicked her wand at the cabinets. A pile of supplies packed themselves in a box she conjured and shrunk down until it fit in her pocket. Kai stared at her in surprise before swinging her up in his arms and walking out the door. She directed him to a nearby alley and glanced around to make sure it was empty. "Put me down here."

He glanced around before setting her carefully on her feet. "What's here?"

"My turn." she said before wrapping her arms around him and turning on the spot.

They landed in a heap right outside the cabin where Kyou, Yuki, and Tohru had been sitting on the porch and worrying. The three teens were beside them in an instant. Kyou rolled they guy off Michiko and looked at him in surprise, "Kai?"

Kai blinked a couple of times before his eyes focused on the crimson eyes staring down at him. "The one and only. Where the hell are we?"

"Mi's cabin. Let's get her off the ground. What's going on? Why is there a bandage on her chest? What the hell's been going on?"

Kai staggered to his feet and picked up Michiko with some assistance from the neko. She batted at them but they got her inside and onto the couch without incident. Kai collapsed in a heap at her feet and Tohru ran into the kitchen to start tea.

The Yankee glanced around before returning his gaze to Kyou, "How did we get here? We were in an alley a block from her apartment."

"She didn't explain?"

"No. She freaked out when she saw the necklace and the bandage over the burn it gave her. She went into the kitchen and . . . . packed some things and then directed me to the alley. Doc gave her a tranq and she's still a little out of it."

"Doc?"

"Hatori."

"Why?"

"No idea. Haru is sick. Maybe she stayed up too long and he was worried about her."

Kyou looked at the bandage peeking out of her shirt, "How bad is the burn?"

"Not too bad. I was checking on her when it started and took the necklace off right away. Do you know what caused it?"

The teen looked sick, "Me."

"How?"

"I was really worried that we hadn't heard from her in days. I should have taken it off." he replied as he tugged the necklace from under his shirt.

"She gave it to you?"

"Yes."

"For a reason?"

"Yeah."

"And it doesn't work if you don't wear it?"

"I don't think so."

"Then you should keep it on."

Tohru came back out with tea and a Yuki was right behind her with a cold compress for Michiko. Kyou accepted it and put it against her forehead. A few seconds later her eyes fluttered open and she looked around slowly. She held up each of her limbs and checked that Kai was still in possession of all his parts as well before she spoke tiredly, "At least I didn't splinch us."

As that made no sense to any of them, they ignored it. Tohru spoke as she handed the other girl a cup of tea, "Are you all right, Mi-chan?"

"I will be once Hatori gets a bit of his own medicine. How dare he drug me without my consent? And really, a full dose on someone my size?" she tried to sound angry but it came out resigned. "Oh, man. I need to see if I can find the ingredients to make something to get this out of my system."

They watched as she hauled herself off the couch and stumbled out the door. Kyou was at her side in an instant, "Are you out of your freaking mind? You can barely walk. What do you think you're going to do?"

"Help me or go away." she replied as she nearly fell down the stairs. They could hear him cursing all the way down the path before it faded out.

"I don't believe we've actually met." Yuki said after a long moment. "I'm Sohma Yuki and this is Honda Tohru."

Kai shook their hands, "I'm Kai. What can you two tell me about what just happened?"

----------

"Would you stop swearing already? You're making my head pound." Michiko growled as she foraged around at the river's edge. She only needed one more plant and she'd be able to make a potion to cleanse her system. "Do you see any small pink flowers with red tipped leaves?"

Kyou made a face at her before returning his attention to the flowers that grew along the riverbank and at the base of the trees shading it. Finally, he spotted some pink flowers and pointed. "These?"

She looked over and frowned at him, "Those are fuchsia. I need pink."

"What the hell are you talking about? These _are_ pink."

"No, they're fuchsia. Pink is lighter." she argued without looking at him.

"Are you out of your damn mind? Pink is pink."

"Not when you're ingesting it. Those will probably kill me."

"Oh." he circled the tree and found some lighter pink flowers, "How about these?"

She glanced over and her face broke out in a smile. "Perfect. I need the roots from three plants. Pull them carefully."

He tugged the plants out as she walked over and added them to her stash. "Okay, let's go back to the cabin."

They walked back as quickly as she could and she went directly to the fireplace and tapped a log to the bottom right of it. A small panel slid open and she pulled out a tiny box and took it to the kitchen. They watched curiously as she tapped it with her wand and it enlarged. Then she started pulling all kinds of things out of it and they moved closer to watch.

"What are you doing, Michiko-san?" Yuki asked when it looked like no one else would speak.

"Making something to clear my head." she replied absently as she chopped up the plants she and Kyou had collected and added them to the cauldron. Several minutes later the plant soup sparkled white then turned clear and she poured it into a cup. She held it up in a mock toast before downing it in one gulp. When her eyes stopped watering, she looked around and smiled at them. "Much better."

She pulled the bandage off her chest and healed the burn easily before pulling the supplies out of her pocket and flicking her wand to put them away. "So guys, how have things been up here? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is great, Mi-chan. How is everyone at home?"

"Wondering where you are. If you would write a note to Hana and Uo letting them know you're all right that would be very helpful. They're very worried about you. I explained that you were safe, but they said they would rather hear it from you."

"And what about Haru?"

"He's sick. I called Hatori to check him. I was knocked unconscious before I heard the prognosis and came straight here when I woke up." Her eyes found Kai's, "How is he?"

"Your boss gave him something shiny and said he'd be fine in about twelve hours, so he should be awake in a little while."

"Did they say what was wrong?"

He shrugged, "She said something about a book and dangerous and you had notes and the antidote in your cabinet."

It was her turn to look sick, "He found the book? It's my fault."

"He shares the responsibility for picking it up in the first place."

"But if I'd told him that specific book was off limits he never would have touched it."

"He won't blame you, Michiko-san." Yuki said as he touched her arm lightly. "You should go home and check on him."

"You're right. Are all of you okay? Do you have homework for Haru to scan and email?" Tohru went to the desk and picked up a stack of papers. "Wow. You guys have been busy."

She flushed, "I thought about what you said and my mom would be proud of me if I finished early. I'm going to try really hard to get as much done as I can while we're here."

Michiko hugged her, "I know you'll do it."

"And Kyou and Yuki have been teaching me katas. They won't spar with me but they're teaching me how."

"That's wonderful." Michiko said as she hugged the other girl. "When Haru's feeling better we'll come back and I'll spar with you to see how much you've learned."

"That would be fun." Tohru enthused.

"Tell Haru we say hello." Yuki requested.

"I will."

They said their good-byes and Michiko and Kai went across the clearing to leave. "There's no other way to get back, is there?"

"Not one that doesn't involve a hundred mile plus walk through the forest."

"Damn."

"The trip back should be better than the trip in. I'm feeling much clearer now."

He opened his arms and let her take him back. The ride was better and he didn't feel nearly as miserable when they landed. They hurried upstairs and heard voices murmuring in the bedroom.

"Hey guys." she called as she walked into the room.

Haru smiled over at him, "Where have you been?"

"Checking on our friends. How do you feel?"

He shrugged, "Fine. A little tired."

She sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm so sorry. It's my fault you got sick and that you weren't treated properly."

"I'm sure it was an accident."

"That's no excuse. I should have told you I brought something dangerous into the house. I will next time."

"It's okay, kitten."

"It's not. I could have killed you."

"Kishi said you had the antidote in the cabinet." Joey interrupted.

Haru squeezed her hands, "See?"

"And I forgot it was there."

"It's understandable with as worried as you've been."

Kai rested a hand on her shoulder, "If you two of you are all right, we should get going."

"All right. Thank you for helping us. And not asking questions."

"We take them as they are, Mi. You know that." Nate said as he tugged her hair.

She grinned at him, "And know we appreciate it."

They trooped out and she locked the door behind them before curling on the bed next to her husband. "Are you really all right?"

"I'm fine."

"You want to watch a movie?"

"Yes." She helped him out of bed and to the couch.

"I can walk."

"So could I." she replied, "But you carried me anyway." She tucked him under a blanket and made tea before putting in a movie and snuggling next to him.

----------

And we've avoided Akito for as long as we could . . .


	20. Caught

Notes:

These next couple of chapters really kicked my a$$ and I've been more frustrated with them than not. Thank you all so much for your kind comments, patience, and encouragement. Without the good reviews to look at when I was completely frustrated, I don't think I would have been able to get these done. I hope you like them. If not, please let me know what can be done to improve them! I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira, and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 20 - Caught

Does it scare you that I can  
Be something different than you  
Would it make you feel more comfortable if I wasn't  
You can't control me  
And you can't take away from me who I am  
~_Quasimodo_, Lifehouse

Michiko and Hatsuharu were sitting on the couch dozing in the afternoon sunlight when a knock sounded on the door. She groaned as he shifted out from under her to answer it. He was finally feeling better but she was still nagging him to take it easy until he was one hundred percent. Figuring it couldn't be anyone too important, he opened the door and went rigid at the carefully blank expression on the doctor's face.

"Hello, Hatori." he said evenly, blocking the door with his body.

"Hello, Haru. Akito would like to speak with you and Michiko. Please come with me."

"We'd rather not." Haru replied.

"May I come in so we are not discussing this in the hall?" Hatori asked.

Haru hesitated but finally stepped back to allow him entrance. When Michiko saw the look on his face she sat up and slipped her wand up her sleeve. Haru stepped to her side and turned to face Hatori, who stopped across the room from them. A tense silence held for a long moment before Hatori broke it. "Akito has found out about your marriage and wishes to speak with you."

"Why?" Haru asked.

Hatori raised a brow, "Why do you think? You have brought her into the family without his permission. He wishes to know how and why."

"None of his business on both counts."

"He also wishes to know what she knows about the Sohmas."

Haru quirked a brow, "She knows how to keep a secret."

"Hatori-san, why don't you seem surprised?"

"I saw the marriage certificate when Haru was ill."

"You told him?" Haru growled.

Hatori gave him a flat look. "I have better things to do than incite his temper, something we do not appear have in common."

Haru bristled but Michiko's hand on his arm stayed his temper. Mostly. "I'll live my life as I see fit."

"And pay the consequences for your actions. Please come with me. Akito will be very angry if you don't and it could make things more difficult for both of you. You know he is already upset about Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru hiding from him and you no doubt helping them."

Michiko stood up and clasped Haru's hand, "Anata, let's go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return. You know he'll find a way to get us there any way. It's best if we go of our own volition."

Haru turned stormy eyes on her, "You don't really think he'll let me leave, do you?"

"Yes, I do. After all, there is still a chance that one of the others will try to contact you and he'll be able to follow you to them."

"She speaks sense, Haru." Hatori said quietly.

Haru took a deep breath and let it out. "Very well."

He walked out the door and down to the car with Michiko and Hatori following. Michiko reached over to take his hand during the drive. She was scared but knew she would do whatever it took to get them both out in one piece. She hadn't been able to create a defense against Hatori's memory wipe because she didn't know how it worked. So, instead of having a good plan she was stuck desperately hoping he wouldn't use it against them. Haru saw the fear in her eyes and his grip on her hand tightened.

They drove through the gates and pulled to a stop in front of the main doors. Hatori got out and indicated they should follow. The couple linked hands and fell in silently behind him. Michiko looked at the beautiful sculptures and paintings they passed as they walked and wondered why someone so ugly would be surrounded by so many beautiful things. Perhaps he was trying to hide the truth from himself with pretty distractions? After several turns down long hallways, they came to a stop in front of a pair of ornate doors. Hatori knocked and waited for permission to enter. A few minutes later permission was granted and they stepped inside Akito's personal chambers.

Their eyes landed on the dark haired teen that had caused so much trouble for his family. Physically, he was quite beautiful, but in a cruel kind of way. She kept her face impassive but he knew her thoughts were in turmoil behind the smooth façade. When Akito smiled coldly, the tightness in his chest sank into his stomach. He could take anything the family head dished out, but he wasn't sure about Michiko.

"Haru, Michiko, so lovely to see you." he murmured, sounding anything but happy, or at least not the kind of happy that wouldn't result in someone getting hurt.

The sarcasm in his voice grated both their nerves as Haru nodded and Michiko bowed gracefully. "It is very nice to meet you, Sohma-san."

"Ah, such formality from the newest addition to the family." He walked over and fingered her hair. "Wasn't it black with gaudy purple stripes before?"

Haru saw the fleeting grimace when she realized she had forgotten to change her hair back before he'd let Hatori in. She gave a small smile and glanced down at the floor, "I thought I would try something new."

"I see. Something new to go along with your new family, perhaps?"

"No, Sohma-san, I just like to change it every so often."

He gave the lock of hair a sharp tug before releasing it. She kept the pain off her face as she knew it would just encourage him. "How did you manage to convince Haru to marry the likes of you?"

Her gaze shot up as Haru stiffened. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"He is a Sohma. Far above street trash like you." Akito sneered. "We searched everywhere and there is no record of you after elementary school, _Hitomi_. Is that when you ran away from home? Or did your parents throw you out? They certainly didn't seem to miss you. There doesn't appear to be anyone that would miss you. Maybe the stupid cow, but he'll choose me over you."

_Hitomi? She had to change her name too? Why didn't she tell me? _Haru could feel his blood beginning to boil and knew his Black side was about to take over. _Not now. I need to stay in control._

There was a sharp pain in his upper arm and he turned to see Hatori stepping back with a syringe in hand. Everything went alarmingly fuzzy around the edges and when he tried to sound angry, it came out a bit dreamy instead, as if he wasn't really invested in the answer. "What did you do to me?"

Michiko looked over at him in alarm. His pupils were slightly dilated and his face was flushed. She didn't know what had been in the syringe but she already didn't like the results.

"He gave you a little something so we could continue our conversation in private without your Black side meddling." Akito said with dark glee. He turned to Michiko, "I am done with you. Stay away from my family. Hatori, you know what to do."

Hatori took Michiko's arm in a firm grasp and started pulling her out of the room.

"Haru!" She struggled against the grip on her arm but couldn't break free. Betrayal showed clearly in her eyes when she looked at Hatori. "You can't do this! You know it isn't right."

Hatori glanced at her impassively as he continued to pull her towards the door. Her horrified expression appeared to have no affect on him at all. He looked at her like a stranger.

Haru moved to go towards her but Akito slammed a fist into his face and he toppled over. "She'll forget you and you'll be all alone. Just you and me and no one else. No one will ever love you."

She redoubled her efforts to get to him, but Hatori just tightened his grip and dragged her bodily from the room and down towards his clinic. In her panic, she forgot that she could transform and overpower him so continued to stumble along behind him while she tried to break free.

"Haru! Let me go, you bastard!" Her mind was churning frantically. She couldn't get to her wand because of the grip Hatori had on her arm. _Breathe, Michiko. Think. You know you can get out of this. You just have to think of something._ She continued to scream and struggle all the way down the hall. It was hard to keep track of the route they took with eyes blurry from tears but she tried to note it as she dug her nails into Hatori's hand until rivulets of blood dripped to the thick carpet. All she could think of was the sight of a fist hitting Haru's beautiful face. "Let go! I promise I'll make you pay for this!"

Hatori pulled her into the clinic and locked the door. As soon as he released her arm, she was on him, again forgetting to use her abilities but only going after him with her nails and rage. She felt herself losing control and welcomed it. It only took him a moment to knock her into a wall and keep her there. "If you knew about the curse, why did you marry him?"

She looked at him coldly, "I love him and have the backbone to stand up for what I want, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

His eyes narrowed a fraction before he responded. "You know what comes next?"

"I _will_ make you pay. One way or another, the pair of you will suffer by my hand."

"For what it's worth, I am sorry."

She spit in his face. He gave a soft sigh before reaching towards her forehead with his free hand. The last thing she saw was a flash of light and then everything was gone.

----------

Haru grunted as Akito's foot connected with his ribs. "How dare you defy me! Why did you do it?"

"I love her."

"You love me more."

"I don't." He stifled a cry of pain when something heavy slammed into his hand, crushing it against the hardwood floor. Bones grated against each other when the brick-like book was removed. "No matter what you do to me, she'll still be the center of the universe."

"The next time you see her, she won't know who you are."

"She will." She loved him. Nothing could make her forget. Not Akito, not Hatori, _nothing. _There was no way she would forget. And if they made her, he's just remind her. They were meant to be together. They _loved_ each other. It would be all right, he'd _make_ it all right.

"How did you get them to do it? Buy them off? Threaten them? Tell me."

"It was like magic." he muttered tiredly. Akito backhanded him and his head snapped to the side. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and Black responded by trying to struggle to the surface.

"It's impossible, isn't it? Can't quite get him to take control." Akito teased. "I prefer talking with you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." Haru winced when he heard the sound of metal tapping on wood. His gaze was pulled toward the sound against his will. Akito was tapping the tip of a small silver blade against the floor. "Do you know what I'm going to do with this?"

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see whatever it was. Akito continued as if he'd answered, "I'm going to do the same thing to you as that damned, worthless cat. You won't be able to go anywhere I don't take you for a very long time."

"Kyou was only down for a week." he pointed out helpfully.

"That was unfortunate. I'm going to do both of yours to be sure. And I won't let Hatori stitch them up right away either."

"I don't need Hatori's doctoring. Michiko will take care of me."

"She won't know you, why would she care? And how are you going to get to her hovel? Crawl across town?"

"If I have to."

Akito gently pressed the blade against the back of his hand. Blood welled from the small slice and Haru resisted the urge to fight back. That would only incite his temper. It didn't matter what he did. He'd get tired or bored or sick and have to stop eventually. Then, he'd find Michiko and they'd go to the cabin with the others. His eyes shot open. "If Hatori takes away her memories no one will ever find Yuki and Kyou. They'll die without her help."

"No, they won't. They'll just have to come home and stop hiding from me."

"They can't." he replied with more than a trace of pleasure, "They're a hundred miles from nowhere with no way to get out of there except her."

"You're lying."

"What if I'm not?"

Akito's eyes narrowed, "Kureno, call Hatori's office and see if he's finished with the girl."

Haru kept the relief off his face. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe there was some way to salvage the situation and get her out of here without permanent harm. He knew Hatori wouldn't physically harm her, but Haru hadn't realized how much he'd hoped his cousin's relationship with Michiko would count for enough to keep him from taking away her memories. He'd heard Shigure taunting Hatori about his beloved child and allowed himself to hope that bond was strong enough to make him go against Akito in this one, small thing. Then he'd watched Hatori drag her away and realized it was for naught. The Doctor did whatever Akito told him without question or hesitation. He'd pay, too.

"There's no answer." Kureno said softly. "Perhaps I should check on them?"

"That won't be necessary. He'll bring her here when he's done with her. I want to be sure Hatsuharu understands that the only person that will ever be here for him is _me_. The other's will come home when her disruptive influence is gone."

----------

Something was different. She felt . . . free. Unbound by the restrictions she always had. A wicked smile curved her lips as she considered what she might wish to do with this newfound freedom and many possibilities came to mind. Each image was more delightfully bloody than the last. Blue eyes opened slowly and looked around. The room was unfamiliar but that hardly mattered. Leather creaked as she sat up and she watched a man walk towards her. He moved with the confidence of someone that had no idea what he was sharing a room with. Well, that would soon change. As she locked eyes with him, a surge of rage flowed over her. She reveled in it as she flicked a hand to slam him against the wall with a thud. The only picture in the room fell and glass scattered across the tile floor.

Hatori stared at the girl in front of him. He knew it had to be Michiko, but just before she'd opened her eyes he'd glanced over and seen the most shocking thing. Her face had become more angular and her hair turned to a black so deep it had a blue sheen to it. It grew before his very eyes until he was certain it had to be nearly to her knees. The body under her clothes changed as well. It went from the athletic build of a girl that spent hours a week sparring to curves that strained the clothes she was currently wearing. He looked into icy eyes as she spoke, "What did you do to me?"

"I found you outside the gates and brought you in for treatment."

The glitter of a letter opener caught her eye and she walked over to pick it up. Silver, engraved, expensive. She flipped it at him and it embedded itself in the wall an inch from his face. "What did you do? I don't know you, but I'd like to kill you. I'm curious why."

"What do you remember?"

"What should I remember?"

The phone rang and they both ignored it. "A boy."

She considered that for a few moments before shaking her head. "No. Did you take him away?"

"Yes."

"And that's worth killing you for? I'd like to see this boy. I've never before wanted to kill for anyone but myself. You didn't kill him, did you?" Her curiosity peaked at the concern she saw deep in his eyes. "No, he's alive. Take me to him."

When Hatori didn't immediately move her eyes narrowed, "That was not a request. You may step away from the wall and take me to him."

When he continued to hesitate, she stepped into his space, "I can make you or you can do it of your own will, but either way I wish to see him. Now."

When Hatori still didn't move she looked into his eyes and pulled out the information she wanted, roughly. "Come with me."

Hatori's gait was jerky as he followed the command she had given. It was clearly not his choice but she had removed the option of staying behind when she looked into his eyes. She confidently moved through the extravagant house with only a cursory glance around. She glanced at him when they stopped in front of a pair of highly decorated doors. They annoyed her so she reduced them to splinters. It felt good so she gave the statue next to them the same treatment. A quick glance at the man next to her showed he was appropriately terrified. Good. She pushed him just inside the doorway. "Don't move and be quiet."

She stepped into the room and her gaze swept its interior before settling on the three males on the far side. Two looked surprised and the third was looking in the opposite direction. The glitter of metal and blood caught her eye and she spared a moment to examine the knife then the captive. What she could see of his torn clothes and the blood smeared on the floor beneath him suggested the blade had been put to good use not too long before. His hair was black and white and for the briefest of moments she thought she knew what it felt like to run her hands through it. The oldest man stood off to the side while the younger delivered a vicious kick to the captive's ribs. Air gusted from his lungs as she watched and he rolled away from his tormentor. When their eyes locked her amusement with the situation left her and she flicked the other two to the floor. "You're the boy?"

An insane giggle sounded from the younger male before he spoke, "You see? She has forgotten you. I told you only I would always be here for you."

"Go to hell. She can't forget me." the teen growled, his eyes going black. She watched curiously as he dragged himself to his feet. Blood oozed from several wounds as he stumbled over and grabbed her shoulders in an iron grip. "Kitten? Tell me you were pretending."

She shrugged him off and stepped back. "I am not your kitten."

"You are. Please, try to remember. It's me, Haru. Anata, please try to remember." His desperation came through clearly and she would have felt sorry for him, had she been capable. People came to the door and she blocked their entrance absently. Her attention was wholly with the stunning creature in front of her. Even beaten and bloody he was the most appealing male she'd ever seen. The tormentor was still giggling shrilly and she glared at him before returning her attention to the boy.

"You really don't remember anything?" She shook her head and rage suffused his face as he walked over to his tormentor. Several non-fatal hits later, she grasped his hand mid-swing.

"Why do you not kill him?"

"I don't want him dead. I want him to suffer. To pay for taking the best thing in my life away from me."

"You want him to suffer?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"Does there have to be a limit?"

"Pick up the knife and do as I say."

"Why?"

"Because it will make him suffer."

"Why do you care?"

"I enjoy other people's suffering." Her foot stopped just short of suffocation when she put it on the other boy's throat.

"What do you think you can do to me?"

Her smiled turned malicious, "I could do things to you that would make you _beg_ for your death, but he wants your suffering more than I want your death, and for some reason I wish to see him smile." she said in her slow, black-ice voice. It sent chills down Haru's spine, not all of them bad. Her eyes found his. "What would you do to him if you had the power to do . . . anything . . . you wished?"

Haru turned the knife over in his hands for several minutes before he spoke, "I would make him suffer through what he put my family through."

She pondered that for several moments before speaking, "I know _just_ what to do." She leaned close and pressed her hand against his heart, "Press the knife against his cheek and repeat this."

The members of the Jyuunishi watched from outside the room, trying to hear what she was saying to Haru but it was too soft for even Shigure's hearing. Their breathing stopped when Haru smiled coldly and knelt over Akito. None had ever seen him so calm while Black and somehow the uncontrolled rage was less terrifying than the calm that emanated from him now.

He spoke with deep conviction, "_Katakiuchi_. You will not have a moment's peace in this life or any other until you have suffered _all_ that you have visited upon others."

Akito screamed as much as he was able as the knife grew hot. She removed her foot from his throat to lean her knee on his chest so she would be more comfortable while the spell she had given to the boy was released. When she felt the power dissipate, she nodded that he could remove the knife from the other's cheek and allowed him to assist her to her feet.

"What's your name, if you aren't my kitten?"

"Khristalle."

"Would you like to go home now?"

"Home? I have no home."

"You do. With me. Come and I'll show you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"It's where you belong."

"I belong nowhere."

He shook his head and reached for her hand, turning it to show the matching rings they wore, "You belong with me."

Curiosity returned as she studied him. He _was_ appealing; there was no denying that. "If I went home with you, what would we do?"

His gaze turned wicked as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. When he leaned back, her eyes were huge . . . and interested. "All right. Let's go."

"I need your help to get there."

"Why?"

"The door is blocked."

She lifted a hand, intent on killing them all, but he clasped it and stopped her. "Not that way. They _are_ my family."

"How then?"

"You have ways of getting information you need." She looked into his eyes and held out her hand. An instant later, they landed in the ally way next to their apartment building and he led her inside and to their home. "Can you make it so no one can get in? Without killing them?"

She shrugged and tapped her wand on the doorframe with a soft mutter. "No one can enter."

"Good." He went straight to the bathroom to clean up and bandage his cuts so he wasn't bleeding all over the floor. It always worried his Kitten to see him bleed so he didn't want her to see it for very long. He glanced into the mirror and saw her standing in the doorway watching him with a coy smile as he stripped so he could check the damage. It took a little longer than he liked to bandage himself up but he got it done as quickly as he could before taking her hands and leading her to the bed, intent on making her remember something, anything. As soon as the bed was close, she sent him tumbling onto it, with her right behind.

----------

Kyou gasped when his necklace went white-hot. Tohru cried out as she fell to her knees and he was at her side in an instant, tugging the burning silver chain over her head and free of her hair. "Are you all right?"

"I think so. Why do you think it's doing that?" she asked as she rubbed the pink skin around her neck. He ran his fingers along the line before deciding it should be all right without any salve. She blushed when she looked up at him. "I'm okay, Kyou-kun."

"I just wanted to make sure."

Yuki hurried in, using his shirt to hold the necklace away from his skin, "What's going on?"

"The last time it burned like this she and Haru were fighting and she was having those nightmares. Something must have happened." The thought was enough to make him want to pack up and start walking.

"Do you think it could be Akito?" Yuki asked, concern clear in his eyes.

"Maybe. He's bound to find out about them with Hatori back and forth all the time and Haru never home." Damn, damn, damn.

"What should we do?" Tohru asked.

"We can't do anything right now. We have no way to find the town she mentioned. We should sit tight. We have plenty to eat and I can catch food if it comes down to that." he replied as he started considering what could be done until Michiko and Haru came back.

"It might be a good idea to build some traps now so we can start catching food before it becomes a problem." Yuki offered.

Kyou nodded, "All right. No one goes out of sight of the cabin until the necklaces stop burning. I'll keep mine handy and let you know when it's safe to put it back on. I'm going to build some traps."

"Don't you need tools for that?" Yuki asked quietly.

Kyou pointed to the tiny shed that had been built on the back of the cabin, "There's tools and stuff in there. Should be enough to make what we need."

"If you'll show me how, I'll help you."

"And me, too." Tohru offered.

"Maybe you should look through that plant book so we can figure out what's around that's safe. I know a few things, but there are plenty I'm not familiar with."

Tohru nodded and started looking through the stacks of books that had accumulated from their schoolwork. Yuki followed him out and they got to work.

"How long do you think we should give it before we get worried?" Yuki asked as he watched Kyou tie the loops for a simple snare.

"A few days or a week probably. If we don't hear from her in a week, we should definitely worry. There's a lot of stuff here we can eat and it's summer so everything's in bloom. We can stay here until it freezes if we need to."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. There's eggs, bugs, plants, small animals. We'll be fine. You might get behind on your homework though."

Yuki didn't dignify that with a response. Tohru brought the book out to the steps and sat while she flipped through it, marking pages of things she was pretty sure she'd see while walking with Kyou.

"I'm going to place these and look around for edibles."

"Edibles?"

"Plants, eggs, bugs."

Tohru blanched, "Bugs?"

"If we need to. They're not bad when you toast them."

She and Yuki shared a disgusted look before he took a seat next to her to look at the pages she'd marked.

----------

Haru opened his eyes slowly and looked around. He was at home, in bed, and surrounded by Michiko's scent. He breathed a sigh of relief as he curled against her and ran a hand down her side before tugging her tight against him. He didn't remember much of the previous day but waking up where he should be was enough to lull him back to sleep, pressed against her warmth.

When he woke up again, a woman was leaning over him. She had Michiko's blue eyes, but they were much colder. He tried to get away and she arrested his backward motion when she spoke. "I still don't remember you."

Everything in Haru's world froze and shattered when he looked into her eyes and saw a stranger. He saw Mi's wedding ring glint in the low light when she pushed her hair back. "Who are you?"

"I told you yesterday, Khristalle. If you can't remember my name for even a day you're not going to make a very good toy."

Toy? This was getting worse by the minute. Maybe it was schizophrenia brought on by stress? "I wasn't myself yesterday. I'm sorry. Do you . . . know Michiko?"

"She is no more."

"What?" Oh no, oh no, oh no. He couldn't breathe. He knew he was pulling in air but his lungs felt starved as everything but her face grayed out. He lifted a trembling hand but stopped just short of actually touching the monster in Michiko's skin. What happened? Where was she? Was this her equivalent to Black Haru? Would Michiko be back as soon as she was sure everything was all right? Was she really gone? Please, oh, please, don't let that be it. Michiko had to be in there somewhere.

"She was gone when I woke up. I didn't realize it at first. I just knew I felt free. If she had still been there I wouldn't have been able to give you that spell."

"What spell?" he asked, terrified what his other side might have asked for.

"The one that made the boy that hurt you suffer."

Oh . . . "So Akito's alive?"

"Yes. Unless he committed suicide between then and now."

"Is that a possibility?" He was ambivalent about it at this point. If Akito had taken his wife away from him, he'd be sure the job was finished properly.

"If he's done as much harm as you implied."

"And you don't remember anything about her?"

"No, but I do like your little kitten. Was that to remind you of her?"

Images of her asking about it and him finally telling her slid through his mind. "Yes."

"I hope it is enough since you'll be seeing her no longer." He watched her in horror as she ran her hand down his chest, "I would like to keep you. Are you willing or will I have to force you?"

"I'm willing." He'd made a promise and even if Michiko wasn't there now, eventually she would be back. She had to be. He loved her with everything he was, she couldn't be gone. Until she found her way back, he'd keep Khristalle close and make sure this monster didn't destroy everything they'd worked for. She tugged on the silk robe he'd bought for Mi last month. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"I'll fix something for us."

"Very well." she replied as she walked out of the room. He tugged on his jeans and headed for the kitchen, surprised to find her seated on the counter when he got there. "I am curious."

He lifted his brows and waited for her to elaborate. "How did you come to have another side?"

He explained while he cooked and she listened intently to what he said and didn't say. "Is that why she loves you?"

A soft breath of relief escaped him as she spoke of Michiko in the current tense. He _knew_ she was in there somewhere. "I think it made her curious about me, but I don't honestly know why she loves me."

"You never asked?"

"No. I was happy that she did."

"But what if what she loved changed?"

"I believe that we loved many things about each other and no one thing was a deal-breaker." What had happened to this girl to make her think something like that was even possible?

"Does it upset you to see me in her?"

Feeling more in control of the situation, he finished chopping an onion and dumped it in the pan. "No. You're a part of her. There's nothing you can throw at me that I won't accept."

Surprise was clear in her face "Really?"

"Really."

"Even destroying your family?"

"It would hurt me if you did that, but I couldn't stop loving you. You're part of me."

"I am not her."

"No, but you _are_ part of her, which makes you part of me." She had to see the logic in that.

"I am not."

He clasped her small hand, noting the texture was smoother than Michiko's. For all her hard words, this side did not wish to fight or she would have made herself better suited for it. "You've protected her your whole life, how can you say you're not part of her?"

"She told you?"

"She told me you only came out when she was in danger. I don't know if she realized how much you do to keep her safe." He certainly hadn't until just now.

"And you do?"

"Yes, and I love you for it." Had it not been for this part of her, she may not have made it out of her parents house in such good shape, or been able to become the Michiko he loved so dearly.

"No one loves me."

"I do."

"You do not know me."

"I'm getting there." He pulled her close for a kiss and she relaxed into him. She wasn't _so_ bad, and she seemed to have a fair bit in common with his other side. He could do this. Stay with her until Michiko came back. It would be all right.

"You kept her safe as well."

"I tried. She still got hurt." He tilted his head, "Why didn't you come out when the gang attacked her?"

"I was about to but those two boys arrived and she pushed me back."

"She doesn't understand, does she?" he asked as he cupped her cheek.

"She never did. I only wanted to help her."

"Maybe it was the way you went about it?"

"What's wrong with how I protect her? If anyone tries to hurt her they should die."

"You don't think that's an extreme reaction?"

"No."

"She does. It scares her."

"Well she should not be so soft."

"She can't help it." He returned to the stove to finish breakfast, dinner, whatever meal they were on.

"Couldn't help it."

"She couldn't help it. She had a gentle soul." She glared at him and he continued, "Maybe she got all the gentle and you have all the ruthless?"

"Perhaps. Do you miss her?"

"Yes, but I'm enjoying the opportunity to get to know you. She was happy to know my other side and it's only fair that I get to know hers."

"Even if you'll never see her again?" She was really pressing the point, but maybe it was only because she'd never had anything of her own. Everyone wants to belong to someone and maybe she'd been so alone for so long she didn't want to let go.

"Even then."

"You love her very much."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she accepted me as I am and loved me for me."

"What was it like to be accepted like that?"

Haru turned off the burner and stepped over to her. He cupped her face in calloused hands as he pulled her close, then spoke against her mouth, "You'll know soon enough."

He kissed her softly, taking his time with it. So far, she'd only had the flash and fire, but he wanted to make sure she knew both sides and understood the difference. She tried to up the pace but he held her back and continued the gentle assault until she melted against him. He pulled her off the counter and she wrapped her legs around him as they continued the kiss. He carried her down the hallway, only stumbling once on his way to the bed. All those curves she was sporting weighed more than he was used to hauling around . . .


	21. Aftermath

Notes:

I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira, and the Yankees. :)

~Tali

Chapter 21 - Aftermath

Shigure looked up when something whooshed past him and landed on Ha'ri. His friend glowed softly and the inu leapt to his feet with a growl. Kishi skidded to a stop a few feet away. "Who are you?"

"You're in our house. Who are you?"

"Kishi. What happened to him?"

"Haru's wife happened to him. Can you fix it?"

"Why do you think I can fix it?"

He shrugged, "You made him glow so maybe you can make him walk."

She moved to his side and looked him over, "Can he speak?"

"No."

"Eat?"

"No."

"How long has he been like this?"

"Just over a day."

"Good thing I came looking for him." she replied before stepping back. He watched her concentrate for long moments before muttering something and flicking her . . . wand? . . . at him. It rebounded and the flash nearly hit Shigure as he ducked out of the way. "Sorry."

She tried another and had to dart out of the way of her own spell. "Damn. What the hell did she hit him with?" she tapped a foot and tried a few more. Each one rebounded and they had to duck or get hit. "This is absurd. What did she do to you? I didn't know Michiko even knew any spells like this."

"It wasn't her."

"You said it was Haru's wife. Who else could it have been?" she asked as she tried another. A vase exploded behind them.

"Her evil twin."

"Her what?"

"Evil. Twin." Shigure looked at Hatori, "You sure you should be seeing a woman this flighty? She's a knockout but intelligence is important, too, or so you always say." Hatori's irritation was clear in his eyes as he looked at them. "Maybe you should let me pick for you. You're not doing so well, you know. Girlfriend's nearly killed us half a dozen times and your beloved child silenced you and glued you to the floor."

Kishi's eyes narrowed, "Beloved child?"

"Hatori here has a soft spot for our dark blossom."

"Dark blossom?"

He shrugged, "You'll understand when you see her."

"Don't you have wards to oversee?" she snapped.

He raised a brow at her huffiness, completely unimpressed. "They ran away."

"They what?"

"Ran. Away. Are you going to make me repeat everything? I've had a rough day and I'm not really in the mood for games."

She glared at him before trying another spell on Ha'ri. "I haven't seen Michiko for a couple weeks. She told me she was taking an extended vacation. At least two weeks but possibly a month or more. She has the time on the books so I told her to have fun. I wish she'd told me it was for her honeymoon, I thought we were closer than that. What's been going on?"

"Well, our blossom secretly married Haru, had some hand in helping Kyou, Yuki and Tohru disappear and get put on home schooling under my and Ha'ri's names – I'm dying to know how they passed for us – discovered her dark side, glued Ha'ri here and helped Haru do something to Akito that's left her weeping and weak."

Kishi's eyes darkened with concern, "I don't believe it."

"I'm not making this up." Though it would make excellent material for a novel . . .

"Why would she help hide your cousins and Tohru? Or hurt Hatori? Or Akito? And what dark side? Forget the dark side, that's not actually important right now."

"How is that not important? She hurt them!"

"But why? Michiko is not prone to random acts of violence." Shigure glanced into Akito's room, "Did he do something to Michiko or Haru?"

He drew himself up, "That is none of your business."

"Oh, really?" she asked with a dangerous glint. "I am not required to help any of you."

"You can't leave him like this."

Her chin took a stubborn angle that he'd bet his house drove Ha'ri insane. "I will if you tell me it's none of my business again."

"Fine. I apologize."

"What happened?"

"He can tell you."

"Fine." She continued spelling Hatori until she finally hit upon the right one to free him. He collapsed and took both her and Shigure with him. She wiggled out from under them, "Next time I'm just going to transform you. At least then I'll know what you are."

"You haven't let her see? Ha'ri, I am ashamed of you. You can hug me instead."

She gave him a dark look, "Definitely not."

Hatori moved into Akito's room, "Can you help her?"

Kishi gave him an assessing look, "The better question might be do I _want_ to help?"

"Please. She's suffering."

"Fine." She moved into the room, "What on earth happened in here? This place reeks of magic."

"Evil, black magic?"

She paused, "Actually, no. Old magic, the kind that doesn't understand the difference between evil and good, just does as it's told."

"Magic understands intentions?" Hatori asked.

"Good spells go better when you have good intentions and vice versa. If you heal someone so you can harm them further, it doesn't work as well because it's not meant for that. Does that makes sense?"

"I suppose. What of Akito?"

She circled the shivering girl and flicked a few spells at her. "If she was an object I'd take her to the lab, as she's not I'll have to send a team here instead. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not."

She picked up the phone and dialed, tapping her foot while she waited for an answer. Shigure stared at her, "You have magic and you call people on the _phone_?"

"How do _you_ call them? I don't want to leave so this is the most efficient method."

He huffed and sat next to Akito. She allowed him to twine his fingers with hers for a moment before curling away from him. He looked helplessly at Hatori who turned his attention to Kishi, who'd finally gotten an answer. "I need a team sent to me immediately. We have a high priority client that requires assistance. The spell is on her person and the family wishes her to remain with them. She's not a danger to anyone so it will not be a problem." She gave them the address, "Please send Team Two. Thank you." She turned to Hatori, "They'll be here shortly and she should be fine soon. Let's get you something to eat."

"I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Where are you going?" He gave her a pointed look. "Oh. Never mind. Shigure, would you please show me where the kitchen is?"

"Of course." He led the way and they took seats while the cook made them some quick sandwiches. Hatori arrived half an hour later, freshly showered and changed.

"Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. I'll even let you eat before I start asking questions." she offered.

"Blossom, can't you go easy on our Ha'ri? He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Then why does he look so guilty?"

"Ha'ri? Guilty? You must be thinking of someone else."

She gave him a disbelieving look before returning to her chips. As soon as Hatori finished with his tea and sandwiches, he lit a cigarette, ignoring the cook's raised brow, and began to speak. Kishi listened intently until he finished his tale then looked to Shigure for any details that Hatori might not have. After a bit of prodding he told what he knew as well. Once they'd taken her through the events of the previous day she put her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hand. They watched as she considered all they'd told her and Hatori knew nothing good would come from the silent contemplation. If there were two things Kishi never indulged in, they were silence and stillness.

After several minutes she leaned back, "Well, you've made a fine mess of things. I can only imagine your _beloved_ child would agree, were she able to voice her opinion. She must feel horribly betrayed right now."

Hatori felt like she'd slapped him. Nothing she said could have been worse, which shocked him to the core. So much for being sufficiently self aware as Michiko had once said. He let her continue her ruminations without comment. There really wasn't anything to say.

"Do you think it's possible she's still in there?"

"I don't know. I have never wiped a schizophrenic's memories before."

"Well be sure you don't again."

"I will not be using my curse on anyone ever again. I am done with it."

"That's a nice sentiment. What about the next time Akito tells you use it?"

"I will say no."

"I wonder how long that'll last." she muttered. Shigure moved to speak but Hatori silenced him with a look. He whined a bit but subsided.

"I would like to assist in any way I can."

"I do not believe your presence would be at all beneficial to the situation."

"But you do not know that for certain."

She shrugged, "Fine. Enjoy getting your nose rubbed in your mistake. Let's go see Kai."

"Why?"

"He knew her when she was young; perhaps he saw glimpses of this Khristalle and knows how to repress her."

He pulled his blazer on, "I'll follow you."

"Like I'm going to take my eyes off of you." She grabbed his wrist and took him to the docks. He nearly fell on his face before righting himself.

"A little warning, if you would?"

"Sorry." she said, not looking it in the least. She flicked a spell and dragged him along until the sounds of a commotion reached their ears.

"Get it off!"

"We're trying. Someone call Mi, maybe she knows what it is."

"Stop!" Kishi yelled as they rounded the corner. Half a dozen startled faces turned towards them. "Don't call her. We have a situation."

"Yeah, we do! I'm covered in sparkles! Get them the hell off me!" Kai shouted. Kishi flicked her wand and the spell shine disappeared. "What was that for?"

"I want to know what you know about Michiko."

"That's kind of a broad request." He glanced at Hatori, "And I'm not sure what I should say in front of him anyway."

"Really? Why?"

"She doesn't trust him."

At Kishi's expression, Kai pushed Hatori against the wall, "What did you do?" Hatori just looked at him. He was certainly not going to stoop to the level of physical violence.

"Yeah, what did you do, Doc?" Nate's low rumble sounded from next to them.

"Let me go." Hatori ordered.

"What if I don't want to?" Hatori continued to merely look at them. "Not scared, Doc?"

"Are you quite finished?"

"Not even close. What did you do to Mi? Once I know that, I'll know how finished I am."

Hatori responded in a completely inflectionless voice, "I wiped her memories and destroyed her in the process."

Kishi stopped talking to Joey mid-sentence and turned her attention to the men. Kai released him in shock but the other two were there to take up the slack. "You-What? Why? She loves you."

Hatori tightened his hold on his emotions, "I was ordered to."

"And you just did it? No questions?"

"No questions."

"Did you know it was going to happen?"

"I should have realized the possibility."

Hatori watched as Kai's face paled with rage and he pushed the other two away to wrap his hand around his throat. "So, you murdered Mi?"

"You could say that."

He flinched when the hand tightened but made no move to defend himself. "Do you have anything to say to defend your actions?"

"Not to you."

"To whom?"

"Haru." he replied as his world started to fade around the edges.

"Then you better make your peace with him by phone because there's no way you're leaving here breathing."

Kishi's voice sounded from far away, "She is not yet gone."

"What do you mean? He said he destroyed her."

"He wiped her memories but her body still lives. It is under the control of her dark half. If he didn't wipe everything out, she should be in there somewhere. We just have to find a way to get to her."

Kai gave Hatori's throat one last squeeze before releasing him. He crumpled to the ground and took several shallow breaths while Kishi quickly explained what happened. Kai shook his head, "She's scary."

The guys laughed, "You're scared of little Mi?"

"That woman isn't little Mi. Is she sporting that ridiculously long black ponytail?"

"It was long, but loose." Hatori wheezed. "You've met her?"

"Briefly."

"Be grateful." he muttered.

"I am. She started to turn on me one night when I was stitching her up, hence the liquor."

"I see."

"I doubt it. Did you know she was the only one that could get to Kyou and the others?" Kai asked.

Hatori looked up at him in horror. "We don't know where they are?"

"Nope. Can you undo it?"

He dragged himself off the ground and leaned against the wall. "No."

"You sure about that? Think real hard. That's two members of your family and an innocent girl that have no way to communicate with the outside world. Mi was checking on them every other day and taking them supplies. Who's going to do it now? The papers will have a field day when their bodies turn up, don't you think?" he pressed.

"None of you know how to contact them?"

"Sure, through Mi."

"She is gone!" Hatori snapped, the consequences of his actions sinking in fully. He had not one but four deaths on his conscious if they didn't find a way to the teens in Michiko's keeping.

"Guess her instincts were right." Kai snapped before walking away.

Nate got in his space, "You will be dealt with once we fix this."

The gang followed Kai and left Kishi and Hatori alone. The look she gave him made clear things between them were over and he mourned the loss even as he accepted its inevitability.

----------

Haru glanced up as a knock sounded on the door. Khristalle gave it a dark look before returning her attention to him. When it continued, he sighed. "I need to answer it."

"No."

"They're obviously not going to give up."

"I do not care."

The knocking turned to pounding. "Doesn't the noise bother you?"

"Yes."

"Then let me answer it. I'm not going to leave you."

She gave him an assessing look and Haru returned it tiredly. Learning to live with his wife's dark half was exhausting. He hoped he wasn't this single minded as Black Haru. Thoughts of the positions he had found himself in upon returning said he probably was. The instance where he found himself in this very apartment with his pants unzipped came vividly to mind. "Very well."

Haru nodded and answered the door to find a frantic Kai on the other side. Fantastic.

"You okay, man?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Where's Mi?"

"She's not here right now." Go away. Let me handle this without anyone else getting involved. Please.

"Then who were you talking to?"

"I was on the phone."

"I heard them talking back."

The teen's eyes narrowed, "Your point?"

"I want to see Mi."

"She's gone." a familiar voice said as Michiko came up behind Haru.

Kai sucked in a sharp breath as he recognized the look in her eyes. "It's you."

"I remember you."

Haru looked between them curiously. "You've met?"

"Not exactly. This is how she was when we first met. More of this and a lot less of the girl she is now."

"The girl is gone now and it's all me."

"I don't believe that." he retorted acidly. Haru closed his eyes, he'd been careful to not incite her temper, uncertain how bad it was and here Kai was, just looking for trouble.

"Why not?"

"Because she was there first. You came later."

"I have always been here."

"Maybe, but she is the one in charge."

"She rules us no longer."

"But she might be in there somewhere."

"No. I am in control now." She looked at Haru, "I wish to bed you again. Get rid of him before I do."

Kai leaned closer as she walked away, "Sorry, it pisses me off to see her running things. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. She hasn't hurt me. I don't think she will. She's curious about why her other half liked me so much. She really likes my other side and keeps aggravating me. No one's ever died of aggravation so I'm fine. Just tired." he explained.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. She's still my wife. This is her Black Haru and right now, she's running the show. Michiko will be back."

"What about the others?"

"Have Kishi help them. You know where to find them. Keep everyone away until I say it's safe. Just because she likes me doesn't mean she'll like anyone else."

"Be if you need us."

"I'm fine." Haru replied before shutting the door in his face. He allowed her to pull him back down the hall.

-----

Hatori grimaced as they arrived in an alleyway. Travelling like this was utterly unacceptable and had he any choice they'd be in a cab right now. His mental rant was cut short as he was again shoved into a brick wall. He looked into Nate's eyes without expression. "Yes?"

"Why're you here?"

He glanced at Kishi and she waved them off. "We need to check on Haru and I wanted to speak with him about Kyou and the others. He should know where they are."

Kai moved forward, "I just spoke with them."

"Is he safe?" Hatori demanded.

"Well, at least you care about someone. He's fine. No one died of aggravation or sex as far as I know." Kai snapped before returning his attention to Kishi. "They're in the mountains. A hundred miles from a town but I couldn't find it on a map. Michiko took me there from right here."

She relaxed, "You know where they are? Show me."

"How?"

"Concentrate on it. See the details." He did as she asked and she stared into his eyes for a long moment, like she could really see it. "I'll be back."

Kai grabbed her arm, "I'm going with you."

"Fine." She took his arm and they disappeared.

----------

Kyou was the first one across the clearing when they heard the tell-tale sound of someone arriving. "What the hell is going on?"

Kishi explained and Kai related the conversation at the apartment. When they finished the teens were staring in shock. Kyou shook his head, "I don't believe it."

"Believe it."

"How do we fix it?"

She growled in frustration, "I don't know."

"It just took time, before." Kai offered.

"But you said she believes Michiko is gone."

"She wants to be in control so she would prefer to believe that."

"So she might come back?"

"Yeah. I don't see any reason for her not to. It could be that whatever Doc did to her stunned the real Michiko and she's in there not aware she's supposed to be in charge. If that's the case, time is the best medicine."

"But if she's violent we can't leave him alone with her." Yuki argued.

"I agree. I don't like the idea of him alone with her, but I don't know how to get them apart without angering them both." she said.

"Isn't there some kind of spell you can do to make sure she can't hurt him?" Kyou asked.

"Actually, yes. As soon as I get you home I'll see about casting it."

"I don't want to go back. We don't know how Akito will react and I don't want to risk Tohru getting hurt." Kyou said flatly.

"What? You want to stay in the mountains?"

"I like it here. And we're safe." Yuki nodded his agreement.

"Tohru-chan?"

"I'll stay with them."

"Very well. I'll take over bringing supplies as long as I can while we figure out what to do."

"She said there's a town a hundred miles from here. If we can find it, the road, and some form of transportation we can take care of ourselves."

Kishi pondered that for a long moment before her face cleared, "I have an idea. I'll be right back." She stepped away and disappeared, leaving Kai behind.

----------

Hatori snapped the door open when someone started pounding on it and stared at Kishi in surprise. Once she'd left the alley, he hadn't expected to see her again, ever. Unless it was to hand him over to the Yankees to finish him off. "Yes?"

"I need four off road vehicles, four of those GPS things with a lead box to transport them and cash." He lifted a brow and she brushed past him, "It's for the kids."

"There's only three of them."

"And there are four compass points for them to use to find the nearest town."

"Where are they?"

"I have no idea, hence the need of vehicles and GPS things."

"And the money?"

"Food and other supplies."

He crossed his arms, "Not unless I see them first."

She smirked, "Fine."

She grabbed his arm and he felt that awful squeezing sensation again then they were next to a cabin in the middle of the woods. The teens stared at him with varying degrees of disgust and apprehension. Except Tohru, who just looked worried. "See? They're fine. Can I have what I asked for now?"

"I'd like to speak with them."

"I don't think that would be very productive."

Kyou and Kai were staring daggers at him and he nodded, "Very well. If you'll take me back I'll get what you need."

"Thank you."

He grimaced when they landed back in his living room, "Nothing you need is here."

"Fine." she snapped and they were behind the mall. "Better?"

He lifted one brow and entered the building. After checking the directory, they headed to the far side and into the sports supply store. They found four devices that would work for their purposes but the lead box gave them more trouble. "Can't you transport them in a backpack?"

"Sure but they'll be worthless when I'm done."

"Why?"

"I don't mix with electronics."

"Excuse me; do you have any lead-lined boxes?" Hatori asked the clerk stationed behind the counter.

"You might want to try a medical supply store for those."

He sighed. "Fine. Will you please hold these until we come back?"

The clerk shrugged, "Sure."

Kishi led him out of the mall and they took a cab to the nearest medical supplier. He gave her a dark look when they quoted him almost ninety thousand yen for the box but handed over his card and signed without comment. They Apparated back to the mall and paid for the GPS devices. They stopped by the mall bank branch on the way out and he didn't say a word when she demanded several thousand yen, to start with.

"Why won't you just bring them home?"

"They don't want to be there and I'm certainly not putting them in harm's way just to make you happy."

Hatori let out a breath, "Very well."

"Where do we buy cars?"

"We have several suitable vehicles at the compound."

"Fine." She grabbed his arm and landed them on his porch, "Lead on."

He led her to the garage, noting there wasn't a single person outside. They must all be gathered around Akito and waiting for news. She glanced around the garage and flicked her wand again. Four jeeps shrunk and flew over to land on the palm of her hand. When, exactly, had his life become a work of fiction? There was no such thing as magic, and even if there was, he didn't want anything to do with it.

"This is where we part ways. Stay away from Michiko and Haru."

"Are you really going to threaten me?"

She leaned into his space, "I don't need to. Stay. Away."

Kishi disappeared and he refused to acknowledge the hole it left in his life. He wanted nothing more than peace and quiet. The head of the family was going insane – he made a note to check on the team Kishi sent over; the kids didn't want to come back – probably the best thing right now but that didn't make it grate any less; Haru was living with a vicious version of his wife – and that really needed to be taken care of, they couldn't have an outsider harming a member of the Jyuunishi; and he had once again lost the woman he loved because of Akito. Days like these made him wonder what life would be like if he just packed up and left everything and everyone behind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and allowed himself a single moment before squaring his shoulders and beginning the long list of things that needed doing.

----------

Haru looked over at Khristalle's sleeping form as something sparkled blue around her. Red shined around her next and he propped himself on an elbow to try to brush it away. Hands came out of the darkness to cover his mouth and halt his hand.

"Don't touch her."

"Kishi! What are you doing?"

"Making sure she can't hurt you and ensuring she sleeps while we talk."

He glared at her, "She hasn't hurt me."

"And I want to be sure that continues."

"She is my wife. She's not going to hurt me."

The remaining spell shine illuminated the horror in her expression. "That is not your wife."

He pushed her away, "Yes, she is. It's just another part of her."

"She's not like your other half."

"Yes, she is. You don't know her as well as I do."

"Haru, I only want to help."

"We don't need help."

"What about your cousins and Tohru? Who's watching out for them while she's like this?"

"I know you won't let them starve. Kai knows where they are."

"And what about what she helped you do to Akito?"

"What?"

"She gave you a spell to make him suffer."

"Why?"

"Your other side asked for it. Be careful not to let him rule you with her around. No good can come of that."

"I understand." Damn. He'd thought it might be a bad practice, but hearing it from her confirmed it. Well, he'd just have to come up with another plan. Just as soon as Michiko was back in charge, everything would be all right.

"Good. I'll check on you in a few days."

"That's not necessary."

"Of course it is."

"It's not." he replied before lying back down. Khristalle curled into him and he gave Kishi a look.

"Kai said it's likely all she needs is time."

"I know. You can leave now." he said pointedly. Kishi took the hint and let herself out silently. He settled back down and brushed a long strand of hair away from Khristalle's face before running his fingertips down her cheek. He missed Michiko. It was hard to know she was this close but unreachable. Well, he'd just have to be patient. She'd be back soon. He traced her side with his hand as a thought occurred to him. When they'd gotten married, she'd changed her body shape to something almost or exactly like this. Did she realize that? Had it been Khristalle whispering in her ear? Or her just assuming another familiar form? Or just a coincidence? He'd bet everything he had on Khristalle guiding her. Tired beyond words, he gave into sleep with that thought in mind.

He woke to find her studying him and dangerously close to his chest. Haru gently pushed her away, "You don't want to do that here."

She pouted. It was almost funny to see that expression on _her_ face. "Why not?"

He climbed out of bed and held out his hands when she didn't follow, "C'mere."

She watched him warily as she complied and when she was within touching distance, he pulled her flush against him. She looks startled at the hug but it turned to almost comical surprise when he poofed and an ox was standing in front of her. "What did you do?"

"This is my curse."

"You turn into a cow?"

"An ox."

"Well turn back. Hugging you made me want to bed you again."

"It takes a few minutes."

"You can't control it?"

"No."

She studied him thoughtfully, "Are there others like you?"

"Some members of my family."

"Why?"

"I don't know. We've always been this way."

"Interesting." She tapped her foot while she waited for him to change back and as soon as he did she pulled him back to bed.


End file.
